Zack Ziemer, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound junior offensive tackle from Lakeville (MN) North, is one of the top players in the Midwest in the Class of 2013. He attended the Minnesota games versus Illinois and Wisconsin this past fall. GopherHole.com recently caught up with Ziemer to find out the latest on his recruitment.
Ziemer helped lead Lakeville North to a 10-1 record this season, losing to Cretin Derham Hall 25-22 in the first round of the Class 5A state tournament. He was named honorable mention All-State by the Associated Press and St. Paul Pioneer Press and was second team All-Metro by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Lakeville North head coach Brian Vossen is a strong believer in his offensive lineman.
“The obvious strength is that he is a giant,” said Vossen. “He is between 6-5 and 6-6 and he is 280 pounds. He has been a lacrosse player his whole life, so he moves really well. I think that he is getting to the size where I don’t even know if it is safe to continue playing lacrosse because everyone in that sport is so much smaller than him. He is just extremely physical. He is really impressive. We had a three-year starting center who is going to graduate this year, a kid named A.J. Miller and we told him to take Zack under his wings and train with him between his sophomore and junior year. Zack went from being a big kid who was soft to a pretty aggressive and mean kid who could bench 325 pounds and squat 400 pounds and still run. What sticks out in my mind when I talk to recruiters is that he is a kid that we had to sit down and explain (things to). About mid season, he had a play where he got warned by the ref. He didn’t get flagged, but he took a defensive end and drove him through the sideline, through our home team’s bench and water cooler area and he didn’t understand that you can’t take a kid and continue driving him right off the field and onto the track. We had to explain to him that once you get on the sideline, it is kind of out of bounds for everyone. Go ahead and throw him out of the field of play, but you can’t go in there with him. He is that type of guy. He latches on and moves his feet well. He likes being a lineman. He likes knocking a guy down and laying on top of him.”
Vossen feels that Ziemer has room to continue to improve as a player.
“No question,” said Vossen. “The biggest things that we notice and even the recruiters see it when they come in is that sometimes you get a junior or senior that you see is done growing and done developing. They have full beard and everything. Zach still has a bit of a baby face to him, so he is the kid with the giant feet and the giant hands. He might end up being 6-6 or 6-7 and 325, 330 pounds by the time he reaches his college window. I think sophomore to junior year, we saw a tremendously different player and I anticipate the same jump for him.”
Vossen said that Ziemer is starting to draw some serious Midwestern interest that he thinks will continue to grow.
“Right now, the schools that have shown immediate interest are the Gophers, Michigan State, NDSU, UND and oddly enough, on Tuesday, TCU called and wants to make a trip up to watch him play lacrosse in ten spring and hopes to get him out to their camp,” said Vossen. “To be honest, I expect a lot more coming forward as his name gets out. I have been sending out film to schools in the Big Ten. He has been invited to the Gopher Junior Day on February 26th and I contacted the Badgers.”
GopherHole.com recently caught up with Ziemer to find out the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: You were named to the several All-State and All-Metro team. How pleased were you with your individual play this season?
Zack Ziemer: I thought that I had a pretty good year. It was my second year playing offensive line. I was kind of excited when I got to start on varsity and I thought overall, I played pretty well this year.
Gopher Hole: I know that you would have liked to have gotten a little farther in the playoffs, but you have to be pleased with your season. Lakeville South was the school that got all the preseason publicity, but you beat them twice and had a great year.
Zack Ziemer: We did have a great year. I think that the reason that we won so much was because we were passionate and worked as a team. It wasn’t like a lot of individual players. We worked as a team and not as a bunch of individuals. I think that we had a pretty good offensive year.
Gopher Hole: I know that you lose StarTribune Metro Player of the Year quarterback Trey Heid and All-Metro wide receiver Charlie Hayes, but you have a lot of juniors who plays key roles this past season. Have you guys talked much about expectations for next year?
Zack Ziemer: We haven’t really talked about next year as a team. A couple of us, individually, were saying how excited we are for next year and about getting bigger, faster and stronger. We are looking forward to next year and hopefully, we can make it just as far, if not farther.
Gopher Hole: What things are you going to be working on to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Zack Ziemer: For myself, I am going to keep working on my foot speed. Get stronger and make sure that I don’t get too big and lose foot speed. Just keep kind of a balance.
Gopher Hole: Did you get a chance to go to many college camps last summer?
Zack Ziemer: This year is when I am going to go to all my camps.
Gopher Hole: Do you know which ones you want to go to?
Zack Ziemer: Right now, I am going to the Minnesota one, the Michigan State one and a couple others. I haven’t decided yet.