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Kentucky QB Zach Calzada Sorry for Video Flaunting NIL Money
ESPN ^ | Nov 7, 2025 | Mark Schlabach

Posted on 11/07/2025 8:06:25 PM PST by nickcarraway

Kentucky quarterback Zach Calzada apologized Friday for sending a video to someone on social media in which he boasted about the amount of NIL money he has received from the Wildcats this season.

The video, which was posted to X by a different person, showed Calzada counting a large stack of $100 bills.

Calzada, who turns 25 on Saturday, said he sent the video to someone who had apparently criticized his play this season.

In the video, Calzada tells the fan, "Hey, what you need to do, Garrett, is your ass needs to stop hatin' and go get you some money. But since you ain't got nothing, you go ahead and you can count mine."

"Let's count," Calzada said, as he fanned the $100 bills.

"Don't lose count, Garrett," Calzada continued. "Straight hundreds."

A Kentucky spokesman told the Lexington Herald-Leader on Friday, "Zach has taken responsibility for his actions. He has done the right thing and apologized. Now, it's time to move forward."

Calzada, who is playing his seventh season of college football, started the first two games for the Wildcats in 2025. He was ineffective, completing 47.2% of his attempts for 234 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

Calzada injured his throwing shoulder in the fourth quarter of a 30-23 loss to Ole Miss on Sept. 6.

Freshman Cutter Boley took over and has started the past six games, throwing for 1,376 yards with 10 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.

Calzada, from Buford, Georgia, started his career at Texas A&M in 2019. His best season came in 2021, when he replaced injured Haynes King and went 6-4 as the starter. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 285 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception in the Aggies' 41-38 upset of then-No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 9, 2021.

Calzada transferred to Auburn in 2022 but never played in a game after undergoing surgery on his non-throwing shoulder.

He spent the past two seasons at FCS program Incarnate Word, where he was named the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year in 2024 and Player of the Year last season, when he threw for 3,744 yards with 35 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.

The Wildcats (3-5, 1-5 SEC) host Florida (3-5, 2-3 SEC) on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network).


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Sports
KEYWORDS: college; ncaa; nil
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first 1-2021-39 next last
You don't even half to look.
1 posted on 11/07/2025 8:06:25 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway
You don't even half to look.

Of course not. Still, was this a crime? Some sort of violation?

Or is he guilty of "flaunting"?

2 posted on 11/07/2025 8:09:08 PM PST by Drew68
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To: Drew68

“Still, was this a crime?”

Exposing the corrupt system.


3 posted on 11/07/2025 8:10:48 PM PST by alternatives?
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To: nickcarraway

Still in college 25 years old?


4 posted on 11/07/2025 8:18:25 PM PST by carikadon (Don't mess with Texas)
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To: Drew68

Zach got trolled, and he fell for it.


5 posted on 11/07/2025 8:20:43 PM PST by kiryandil (No one in AZ that voted for Trump voted for Gallego )
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To: carikadon
Still in college 25 years old?

Lots of people are still in college at 25, particularly those who joined the military after high school and then used their GI Bill to pay for college.

6 posted on 11/07/2025 8:24:37 PM PST by Drew68
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To: nickcarraway

“Calzada, who is playing his seventh season of college football”

Seventh season? What’s he doing, getting a PhD?


7 posted on 11/07/2025 8:26:01 PM PST by aquila48 (Do not let them make you "care" ! Guilting you is how they. control you. )
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To: nickcarraway

Counting hundred dollar bills at Kentucky is not flaunting NIL money.

Longhorns driving around Austin in Lamborghinis is flaunting NIL money.

8 posted on 11/07/2025 8:38:42 PM PST by Round Earther
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To: aquila48
“Calzada, who is playing his seventh season of college football”
Seventh season? What’s he doing, getting a PhD?

Guess I must be old --- I thought you were only eligible for four seasons at most. When did that change?

9 posted on 11/07/2025 8:43:50 PM PST by ZOOKER
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To: Drew68

Agree and perfectly understand those cases. My two sons were military. But in this case he started at A&M in 2019, correct?


10 posted on 11/07/2025 8:45:30 PM PST by carikadon (Don't mess with Texas)
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To: Drew68

He certainly is the blabber mouth of the year. This is why we can’t have nice things.


11 posted on 11/07/2025 8:49:20 PM PST by healy61
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To: nickcarraway
Calzada, who is playing his seventh season of college football
There's part of the problem right there.
12 posted on 11/07/2025 8:55:24 PM PST by citizen (A transgender male competing against women may be male, but he's no man.)
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To: Round Earther

Wonder what their car insurance costs?


13 posted on 11/07/2025 8:55:57 PM PST by alternatives?
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To: nickcarraway
This why most sports no longer fascinate me...
14 posted on 11/07/2025 9:05:54 PM PST by cherry
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To: alternatives?

It does not matter. The Taxpayers and Booster Clubs will pay it.


15 posted on 11/07/2025 9:19:03 PM PST by sport
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To: ZOOKER

Four standard years.
Plus:
One redshirt year (practice but don’t play in games)
One injury exemption year if granted.
The seventh was a “COVID year” for 2020-2021 in case a player was enrolled in a state or a school that shut down or curtailed their sports program (thankfully this will be ending soon)


16 posted on 11/07/2025 9:19:59 PM PST by pburiak (You really think we can vote our way out of this? That's so cute...)
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To: nickcarraway

sounds like he’s itching to get robbed.


17 posted on 11/07/2025 9:20:23 PM PST by BookmanTheJanitor
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To: aquila48
In 2026 it will be 8 years. And he will still be on Football Scholarship when he goes on Social Security. Courtesy of the Tax Payers.
18 posted on 11/07/2025 9:24:47 PM PST by sport
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To: carikadon

This is his seventh year playing college football, he started in 2019. Four different colleges.


19 posted on 11/07/2025 10:01:23 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway
Calzada, who is playing his seventh season of college football…
20 posted on 11/07/2025 10:04:54 PM PST by Allegra (“Knock it off!” Thank you for everything, JimRob. R.I.P. ♥️)
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