Zinter Named Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators
12/20/2022 12:00:00 PM | Football
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Offensive lineman Zak Zinter of the No. 2-ranked University of Michigan football team received second-team Academic All-America honors from the College Sports Communicators on Tuesday (Dec. 20).
Zinter has maintained a grade-point average of 3.549 while studying sport management in U-M's School of Kinesiology. He is in his third year academically and has qualified as an Academic All-Big Ten honoree in each of the last two seasons (2021-22). Zinter has made 30 career starts in 32 appearances, including 25 starts over the past two seasons at right guard.
The All-Big Ten guard is Michigan football's 34th player to receive the distinction of Academic All-American. He is the 11th offensive lineman and the second in two years with Andrew Vastardis (second team) being honored in 2021. Four Wolverines have been earned Academic All-America honors in the past two seasons after three student-athletes earned the honor last fall (Aidan Hutchinson, first team; David Ojabo, Vastardis, second team).
One of two Wolverine offensive linemen to start all 13 games this season, Zinter's physical style has helped U-M develop the nation's No. 6 rushing offense (243 yards per game), the top-ranked run attack in the Big Ten. The ground game has totaled 38 rushing touchdowns (No. 2 NCAA) to support the NCAA's No. 7 scoring offense (40.1 points per game) and help maintain a No. 4 ranking in time of possession (33:54).
In the passing game, U-M has permitted 13 sacks across 13 games, and Zinter has allowed only one in 361 pass-blocking snaps. The offense has supported the NCAA's No. 1 (Jake Moody, 136 points) and No. 7 scorers (Blake Corum, 114 points) while propelling Corum (1,457 yards) to be the NCAA's No. 8 rusher and a Doak Walker Award finalist.
Academic All-America teams are selected by College Sports Communicators and recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in academics and athletics. Student-athletes who meet the criteria for nomination must be in at least their second year at their institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 and must have played in at least 50 percent of their team's games as an important starter or reserve.
