Michigan right guard and NFL prospect Zak Zinter was carted off the field while on a stretcher late in the third quarter as the Wolverines’ rivalry game against Ohio State took a scary — and emotional — turn.
While blocking for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the Buckeyes’ defender directly to his left got shoved to the ground by a pair of Michigan offensive linemen, and he appeared to land on Zinter’s leg.
The entire Michigan team huddled around Zinter on the field when the cart arrived, and the senior pumped his fist while exiting the field.
Blake Corum scored a 22-yard rushing touchdown on the next step to give Michigan a 24-17 over Ohio State, and the Wolverines added to that lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
Fox’s broadcast also showed McCarthy embracing Zinter’s parents on the sidelines following the injury.
Zinter could’ve entered the NFL Draft following his junior season — the second consecutive year where Michigan’s offensive line won the Tom Moore Award as the country’s top unit — but opted to return for a final season, reuniting with the same teammates from past Michigan runs and hoping that this time, and this run, would end with a national title.
“There was a lot that went into my decision to return,” Zinter said during a June podcast episode. “… We want to beat Penn State, Michigan State, Ohio State, do it again, win the Big Ten again and we want to make that next step — win the bowl game, win the national championship, be a captain. … This is the last year. I’m going to give it everything I have.”
In its November mock draft, The Athletic had the 49ers selecting Zinter with the No. 32 overall pick.