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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — When it comes to first-year players that are anticipated to make an instant impact, offensive linemen often get left out in the dust.
There’s generally a good reason for that. Linemen on offense tend to be the biggest and strongest players on the team, but they also have a level of precision they have to reach before they can contend with the faster, more explosive defensive linemen, who are putting every move at their disposal to get to the quarterback.
But what if one lineman could see playing time in year one for Michigan football? After all, Zak Zinter — the former four-start from the prestigious Massachusetts-based Buckingham Browne & Nichols School already has the idea size, despite being a true freshman.
Zinter reported to campus at 300-pounds in December, but is already up to 334, making him the third-biggest lineman behind Chuck Filiaga and Andrew Stueber. At a towering 6-foot-6, he already has optimal size to be a contributor on the offensive line, but much of it will come down to how much he’s been able to learn the offense as well as offensive line technique.
His O-line counterpart Andrew Stueber has been impressed with Zinter thus far, saying that while he has the physical attributes, his desire to learn has been nothing short of impressive.
“Zak is doing really good things,” Stueber said. “He’s been bouncing around (between) guard and tackle – we don’t know exactly where we’re gonna put him yet. But he’s doing really great things. He’s come in, he’s a big, strong kid. And he’s really quick to learn, too. I love teaching him things, because he’ll pick them up right away.”
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Stueber also said that the competition is still brewing among the offensive linemen, and that Zinter has been one of the players getting some run with the ones — along with seven others.
Though it’s still unlikely that Zinter will supplant a veteran to earn a starting role, that he’s in that competition is a feat unto itself.
Although he’s not one who will make personnel decisions — that’s obviously up to the coaches — Stueber is curious to see if he gets some early play.
“I can’t wait to see where he contributes,” Stueber said. “He’s been showing great things on and off film, in the weight room, with a great attitude and everything. I can’t wait to see how he contributes, whether that’s gonna be in the three or twos, if we’re gonna redshirt him this year. But he’s doing great things and see how he progresses.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there actually aren’t redshirt rules this year, as the 2020 season won’t count against NCAA players’ proverbial ticking clock.
With that in mind, don’t be surprised if Zinter does get a chance to showcase his ability, especially if Michigan has a game in hand.
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