• Unanimous first-team All-American (2023)
• Voted a captain by his teammates (2023)
• Part of two Joe Moore Award-winning offensive lines (2021-22), the first back-to-back winners in history
• Three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2021-22-23)
• Three-time All-Big Ten selection (consensus first team, 2022-23; second team, media; honorable mention, coaches, 2021)
• Two-time CSC Academic All-American (first team, 2023; second team, 2022)
• Four-time letterman (2020-21-22-23)
• Appeared in 45 games with 42 starts along the offensive line; all but one at right guard
Senior (2023)
• Appeared in 12 games with 12 starts at right guard to earn his fourth varsity letter
• NFF William V. Campbell Trophy Finalist
• Rotary Lombardi Award, Outland Trophy Semifinalist
• Named an All-American (first team) by the AFCA, The Athletic, AP, CBS Sports, ESPN, FWAA, Sporting News, and Sports Illustrated; (second team) USA Today
• CSC Academic All-American (first team)
• All-Big Ten selection (consensus first team, coaches and media)
• Midseason All-American by the Associated Press (first team), Sporting News, ESPN (first team), Pro Football Focus (second team)
• Preseason All-American (first team; AP, second team; Sporting News)
• Six times shared Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against ECU, Rutgers, Purdue, at Minnesota, at Penn State, at Maryland
• Started at right guard against ECU (Sept. 2), UNLV (Sept. 9), Bowling Green (Sept. 16), Rutgers (Sept. 23), Indiana (Oct.14), Purdue (Nov. 4), Ohio State (Nov. 25), at Nebraska (Sept. 30), at Minnesota (Oct. 7), at Michigan State (Oct. 21), at Penn State (Nov. 11), at Maryland (Nov. 18)
Junior (2022)
• Started all 14 games at right guard to earn his third varsity letter
• Consensus first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media
• Part of the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line
• CSC Academic All-American (second team)
• Twice shared Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against Penn State and Nebraska
• Started at right guard against Colorado State (Sept. 3), Hawaii (Sept. 10), UConn (Sept. 17), Maryland (Sept. 24), Penn State (Oct. 15), Michigan State (Oct. 29), Nebraska (Nov. 12), Illinois (Nov. 19), at Iowa (Oct. 1), at Indiana (Oct. 8), at Rutgers (Nov. 5), at Ohio State (Nov. 26), against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship (Dec. 3), against TCU in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl/CFP Semifinal (Dec. 31)
Sophomore (2021)
• Appeared in 13 games with 12 starts at right guard to earn his second varsity letter
• Part of the unit that was honored with the Joe Moore Award, given to the top offensive line in the nation
• All-Big Ten selection (second team, media, honorable mention, coaches)
• Earned a share of Hard Hat Player of the Week honors for his performance against Washington
• Started as the sixth lineman against Western Michigan (Sept. 4) and played relief snaps at right guard later in the game
• Started at right guard against Washington (Sept. 11), Northern Illinois (Sept. 18), Rutgers (Sept. 25), Indiana (Nov. 6), Ohio State (Nov. 27), at Wisconsin (Oct. 2), at Michigan State (Oct. 30), at Penn State (Nov. 13), at Maryland (Nov. 20)
• Rotated at right guard at Nebraska (Oct. 9) while battling injury
• Started at the right guard spot against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game (Dec. 4)
• Started at right guard against Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl/CFP Semifinal (Dec. 31)
Freshman (2020)
• Appeared in all six games with four starts at right guard and also played on special teams to earn his first varsity letter
• Made his collegiate debut at Minnesota (Oct. 24), playing special teams and snaps at guard
• Contributed on special teams against Michigan State (Oct. 31)
• Made his first career start at right guard at Indiana (Nov. 7)
• Started at right guard against Wisconsin (Nov. 14), Penn State (Nov. 28), at Rutgers (Nov. 21)
Prep
• Attended Buckingham Browne and Nichols School (2020) coached by Mike Willey
• Set to graduate Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in December and enroll at the University of Michigan in January 2020
• Team Captain as a senior in 2019
• Attended St. John’s Prep for the first two years of his high school career, where he made the Principal’s List each semester, before transferring to BB&N
• As a junior, led the team to an 8-1 record and title game appearances in the Independent School League (ISL) and New England championships
• Helped his team win the Kevin Driscoll Bowl to close out the 2018 season (NEPSAC Bowl Champions)
Key Statistics
• Three-year starter along the offensive line, with one year at St. Joe’s Prep and two at BB&N
• ISL Shot Put State Champion and NEPSAC New England State Shot Put Champion as a junior
• Holds the BB&N school record in the shot put
• Won the MIAA Division I shot put twice (freshman and sophomore years) and the discus state titles as sophomore
Honors and Rankings
• 247Sports Composite ranking of four stars, the 273rd player nationally, the 11th-best guard in the country and the No. 3 player in the state of Massachusetts
• Three-star prospect according to 247Sports, the No. 389 player nationally, the 18th-best guard and the No. 3 player in Massachusetts
• Ranked a four-star prospect by ESPN, the No. 14 player at his position and second-best in Massachusetts
• Rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals, the No. 149 player in the nation, No. 16 at guard and No. 3 in Massachusetts
• PrepStar Magazine Top 150 Dream Team member; rated as the top prospect in Massachusetts, the 17th-best offensive tackle in the country and the nation’s 123rd overall recruit
• Boston Herald and Boston Globe All-Scholastic athlete in football and track and field
• USA Today All-Massachusetts (2018) and Super 26 All-State Team (2019)
• Two-time Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association All-State (2018-19); only underclassman on 2018 team
• Two-time All-New England Prep School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC), earning the honor as a junior and senior
• 2019 NEPSAC All-New England Lineman of the Year
• 2019 Buckingham Browne & Nichols High School MVP and Lineman of the Year as a senior
• Two-time All-ISL (2018-19) and two-time ISL Healey Lineman of the Year (2018-19)
Personal
• Zak Lyle Zinter was born April 17, 2001
• Son of Paul and Tiffany Zinter
• Family grew up in Port St. Lucie, Florida, until Zak was in middle school
• Enrolled in the School of Kinesiology, majoring in sport management