After the win over Murray State last November, Mark Stoops’ “Very special young man” – freshman Cutter Boley – showed what he was made of, stepping into the spotlight and delivering like a seasoned veteran to end Kentucky’s 4-game losing streak. However, the magic didn’t last even until the very next game and the Wildcats were back to the losing side. While Stoops’ defense was already struggling, ranked 54th nationally in defensive stop rate with 1.95 points allowed per drive by ESPN, his offense, which held the fort, ranking 21st in the nation with an average of 12.45 yards per completion, also collapsed when his starter Brock Vandagriff came to an end. And now, the HC has two options left in his QB room.

Chasing the primary spot in what Stoops called “An open competition” for his do-or-die type of a season are– Returning sophomore Cutter Boley and an experienced arm in Zach Calzada. And while he may not have announced who gets to take the snap first, analyst Jeremy Werner has solved the puzzle for him.

On Saturday’s episode of the Cover 3 Podcast, Werner shared his take: “I mean, they’re calling it a quarterback competition, but I mean, you bring in Calzada, who’s a seventh-year senior at this point, a guy who is coming off two really good years at Incarnate Word. He’s kind of in a prove it – wants to prove himself after his first tenure in the SEC, like you said, was up and down, especially the year at Auburn, just didn’t go well at all. Didn’t see the field both from [an] injury standpoint and performance standpoint.

“So, look, Cutter Boley played okay at the end of last year. I thought he actually played pretty darn well against Texas in that second half when they made the quarterback change there, and obviously against Murray State. He looked good, but Murray State was one of the worst teams in the FCS last year. Got playing four games got the red shirt year. That’s who they hope and want to be the quarterback of the future, but I think they know with what the schedule is this year.

“The fact that he still has a lot more growth to do with his body, honestly. He added 15 pounds and got to adjust to playing with that. There’s still more work to do there for Cutter Boley. He’s got four years of eligibility left, and the hope is, with him being a local kid and bringing in Calzada, who’s in his last year of eligibility, compared to maybe someone with multiple years… Hope is Boley won’t get scared off, he won’t transfer on you, and you kind of hope he’s the quarterback of your future. In a scenario where Calzada just stinks it up in August, Boley plays great and Boley wins the job, sure. I’d be shocked if it’s not Calzada at least starting the year as a starter. It may be that he struggles and they pull the trigger on Boley real quick.”

Calzada’s made two stops in the SEC at Texas A&M and Auburn. However, the QB’s Auburn chapter did not go quite well. Thanks to the blessings from the injury Gods while he himself struggled with talent. But not to forget, back at Texas A&M, Stoops’ probable starting quarterback had beaten a Nick Saban-led Alabama team.

Now, enters No. 8, Cutter Boley. Stoops turned out to favor Boley after the Kentucky native completed 10 of his 18 attempts for 160 yards in the second half of the Cats’ game against the Longhorns. Plus, he rose to the spotlight after throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass vs. Murray State. But Werner rained on the Boley hype, marking Murray State as a nothing team.

While Stoops is yet to make a crucial decision on who gets to lead his team, he needs to save his own seat at the same time.

The big $44 million axe looming over Mark Stoops’ head

The 2024 season saw the first losing season for the football program since 2015, nine whole seasons and eight straight bowl games: a 4-8 record. However, Kentucky must be in two minds. After all, the $44 million-plus buyout would leave a hole in its pockets. But to pop Stoops’ bubble, here comes a reality check.

The Kentucky football team has one of the most difficult schedules in college football in 2025. Here, Louisville adds on extra pressure. As the analyst stated, “Even Louisville, who’s gotten a lot better over the years at the end of that schedule, like if they can get to six wins with this schedule, I think it showed that they’ve improved from a year ago.” So, what’s the need of the hour for Stoops’ program? They need to be much better at home than it has been in recent years. But it’s not like the road slate is easy, either. But will the head coach make that effort?

After all, there are already signs that Mark Stoops is taking things easy. They only have one player lined up in their 2026 recruiting class. As Coach Shane shared, “I think he doesn’t care anymore. You know what I’m saying? He’s probably golfing four days a week. He’s just focused on his bourbon, you know, barrels, and growing that business.” But that was a joke that the analyst came up with.

Now, Stoops faces the toughest rebuilding challenge, and he will not want to leave with a bad taste in his mouth. Do you remember what he said after their season-ending 41-14 loss to Louisville?  “I’m sorry I disappointed them and let them down in many ways.” Let’s hope he can make up for the loss this season.