NFF National Scholar-Athletes
OL – University of Michigan
3.53 GPA – Sport Management
Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh | Athletics Director: Warde Manuel
Faculty Athletics Representative: Dr. Ketra Armstrong
Recipient of the F.M. Kirby Scholar-Athlete Award,
Funded by The National Football Foundation
A mountain of a man at 6-foot-6 and 322-pounds, who is also agile and cerebral, Zak Zinter anchored the most productive offense in Michigan history last season while excelling in the classroom with a 3.53 GPA. The North Andover, Massachusetts, product now becomes the 10th NFF National Scholar-Athlete in Michigan history.
A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, Zinter landed CSC Second Team Academic All-America honors in 2022 along with being a First Team All-District pick. Studying sport management in U-M's School of Kinesiology, Zinter is on pace to graduate in December.
A projected high NFL Draft pick last season, Zinter returned to Michigan to pursue a third Big Ten Championship and a shot at the national title after consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff Semifinals in 2021 and 2022. A four-year starter at right guard, Zinter helped the Wolverines tally a 25-3 record the last two years, producing the winningest two-year stretch in school history. The team finished each season at No. 3 in the final rankings, marking the highest consecutive rankings for the school since 1947-48.
A team captain, Zinter twice claimed All-Big Ten honors, playing a key role in the Wolverine offensive line becoming the first unit in history to claim back-to-back Joe Moore Awards as the best offensive front in the country. The 2022 offense ranked as the most productive in U-M history with 6,423 yards of total offense, and the 2021 team, with 6,203 of total offense, was the third-most productive. Zinter paved the way for consecutive 1,000-yard rushers, with Blake Corum rushing for 1,464 yards in 2022 and Hassan Haskins rushing for 1,327 yards in 2021.
Currently ranked No. 2 in the national polls, the Wolverines are averaging 421.6 yards of total offense and 40.6 points per game while Corum has rushed 605 yards with four games left in the regular season and currently leads the nation with 13 touchdowns.
Active in the community, Zinter is a frequent visitor to the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and has volunteered at youth football camps. He participated in events to support the T. Wall Foundation, which helps children with special needs. An avid fisherman, he has taken the U-M linemen on trips along the Huron River.
(All Stats of Oct. 25, 2023)
