Zak Zinter Is One Of The Best, In Many Areas

Veteran senior guard Zak Zinter sets the tone for Michigan football in a lot of ways and he's being recognized for it.

Zak Zinter has been a major part of Michigan football's resurgence for a lot of reasons. He's a future pro on the field, he's an emotional leader and he's one of the more outspoken players on the team. Because of those things, he's been recognized as a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy. The entire, official release can be read below.

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Senior offensive lineman Zak Zinter was recognized on Wednesday (Oct. 25) as one of 16 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, the premier scholar-athlete award in college football. The award annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

A second-team Academic All-American in 2022, Zinter is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2021-22) and a team captain studying sport management. He is expected to graduate in December.

On the field, Zinter is part of the No. 6 scoring offense (40.6 points per game), a unit averaging 0.651 points per play (No. 2 nationally). The U-M offensive line ranks second in tackles for loss allowed per game (3.0) while supporting the NCAA leader in rushing touchdowns (Blake Corum, 13) and the Big Ten's top passer (J.J. McCarthy, 18 passing touchdowns) and pass catcher (Roman Wilson, 10 receiving touchdowns).

Zinter has made 38 career starts as a Wolverine, helping lead the team to consecutive Big Ten Championships (2021-22) while helping lead the offensive line to back-to-back Joe Moore Awards (2021-22), the first in the award's history.

U-M's last finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy was Aidan Hutchinson (2021). Zinter is the 10th Wolverine to have collected the honor in total. He would be the program's first winner of the William V. Campbell Trophy, first presented in 1990.

Each of the 16 finalists will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2023 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class presented by Fidelity Investments. Finalists will be invited to the ARIA Resort and Casino in Las Vegas for the 65th NFF Annual Awards Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. One of them will be named the winner of the 34th Campbell Trophy. The winner's postgraduate scholarship is increased from $18,000 to $25,000.