Zak Zinter injury update: Michigan lineman carted off vs. Ohio State after horrific injury

Editor’s note: Michigan football beat Ohio State to reach Big Ten title game for third straight year.

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.

TRENDING: Michigan already had motivation vs. Ohio State. Zak Zinter pushed it over the top.

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.

Michigan offensive lineman Zak Zinter waves to the crowd as he is carted off the field due to a lower-leg injury during the second half against Ohio State at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.

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 against Iowa next week or a potential postseason game, but Moore said he expects Zinter to eventually recover.

Zak Zinter NFL draft

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.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Zak Zinter injury update: Michigan Wolverines OL carted off vs. Ohio State