Zak Zinter injury update: Michigan lineman broke tibia, fibula in horrific injury vs. OSU

Michigan vs. Ohio State took a devastating turn on Saturday, as 2022 second-team All-American and prospective first-team All-America offensive lineman Zak Zinter was carted off the field in the third quarter with a gruesome leg injury.

Zinter, the anchor of one of the best offensive lines in college football, was taken off while pumping his fist to raucous cheers from the Michigan crowd as quarterback J.J. McCarthy hugged Zinter’s parents.

The entire Michigan team was on the field to see Zinter off:

In an almost cosmic set of circumstances, Blake Corum scored from 22 yards out on the very next play behind Michigan’s offensive line, giving Michigan a 24-17 lead. Corum’s celebration included holding up the numbers “6-5” in recognition of Zinter.

Per Ohio State’s radio broadcast, Ohio State coach Ryan Day also went up the tunnel to talk to and console Zinter’s parents.

Zak Zinter injury update

Zinter suffered a serious left leg injury when an Ohio State player was blocked into him while he was engaged in a block.

He went down and was attended to by the staff while the Michigan football team stood on the field. Spatters of “let’s go Zak” chants came down from the Michigan crowd. Zinter was almost immediately confirmed out for the game, but it’s unknown what the extent of the injury is.

Following Michigan’s win, interim coach Sherrone Moore did not offer a full status update, but he did say he had spoken to Zinter’s mom and gotten “positive news.” There was no implication Zinter would return for next week’s Big Ten championship game against Iowa next week or a potential postseason game, but Moore said he expects Zinter to eventually recover.

Update (Nov. 25): Zinter’s mother, Tiffany Cosmar Zinter, posted that her son suffered both a broken tibia and fibula as a result of the play, adding that he was going into surgery. She added that Michigan players FaceTimed him from the locker room while he was in the emergency room.

Via ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg:

Update (Nov. 25): Zinter posted to X, formerly Twitter, that the surgery was a success, and that he is looking forward to seeing the team in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship Game.

Zak Zinter NFL draft projection

Zinter is recognized as one of the top offensive linemen in the country but, as a guard rather than a tackle, his stock is somewhat affected.

Prior to his injury, Zinter was a possible fringe first-round pick, with The Athletic’s Diante Lee predicting Zinter to the 49ers at No. 32 last month. How viable that remains will likely depend on the extent of his injury, but a team with the ability to invest in him may still take him in the early rounds if the injury is as bad as feared.