Zak

Zinter

That makes two weeks in a row where Conklin will sit with a concussion, and he didn’t practice all week. Joel Bitonio (knee/back) is questionable after not practicing either of the first two days, while Wyatt Teller (calf) remains out. Cleveland’s OL injuries are dire enough that we must point out that Zak Zinter (back) is also questionable.

Zinter “looked comfortable” on the first day of rookie minicamp, per head coach Kevin Stefanski. This is the first time Zinter has taken the field since fracturing both his tibia and fibula in Michigan’s win over Ohio State in November. Zinter, who was taken in the third round, was a promising prospect whose draft stock slipped when he was unable to participate at the NFL combine. Michigan’s offense was anchored by a road-grading offensive line, and Zinter’s 73.8 PFF pass-blocking grade and 75.9 PFF run-blocking grade make him one of just two Michigan OL (min. 100 offensive snaps) to best 73.0 in both categories.

A career-long right guard, Zinter’s 2.5% pressure rate in 2021 contributed to his middling 66.1 PFF overall grade for the resurgent 12-2 Wolverines. He took a leap in his development in 2022 as a key cog in UM’s Joe Moore Award winning offensive line, cutting his pressures allowed from 16-to-9 despite defending 52 more pass reps. Last year Zinter was on the way to a storybook final season, earning Unanimous First Team All-American recognition while allowing one sack and just five pressures all season with a sensational 99.7% run block success rate. Then fate struck with Zinter breaking his tibia and fibula in the final game of the regular season against Ohio State, costing him the ability to be on the field as Michigan finished out their undefeated National Championship run. He measured in at 6’057/309 with 33.5” arms at the Combine, but was obviously unable to perform drills or testing due to his leg injury. His long, well-proportioned frame generates torque and puts a charge into his strikes to knock blitzers off their rush path. A high IQ player and three-time Academic All-Big Ten awardee, Zinter is in tune with his responsibilities and has a penchant for cracking free rushers with well-timed punches that put an instant end to their rep. With some time to hone his game, Zinter should develop into a starter in the coming years.

Zinter (6'6/300), a former four-star recruit from the 2020 class is listed as the start on the team’s depth chart. He was expected to have a shot at starting for the Wolverines this season, but those plans quickly got derailed in light of his injury. Senior Andrew Vastardis has been Michigan’s starting center in all three games this season.

Wolverines HC Jim Harbaugh and staff have to be feeling pretty happy right about now, as they’ve been pushing hard for Zinter’s pledge for the past half-year or so. The 6-foot-6, 300-pounder took a pivotal unofficial to Ann Arbor near the end of March which may have worked to sway him over. That was his fourth visit to the program. On the 247Sports composite board, the North Andover, Massachusetts, native ranks as the No. 216 overall prospect in the 2020 class.

Zinter (6'6/300), who attends Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in North Andover, Massachusetts, will make his first stop at Boston College on March 19. From there it will be off to Notre Dame (March 22-23), with stops at Penn State (March 25), Ohio State (March 27) and Michigan (March 29) to follow. In addition to those schools Zinter holds offers from power conference programs such as Duke, Virginia, Auburn, Florida, Miami and UCLA just to name a few.