Zach Cochnauer, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound senior tackle from Farmington (MN) High, was named as an All-Metro selection by the StarTribune and KARE-11 and All-State by the Associated Press. Cochnauer has a preferred walk-on offer from Minnesota and plans to make his college choice next week.
Cochnauer helped lead the Tigers to a 6-5 record, losing to Eden Prairie 17-7 in the Class AAAAAA quarterfinals.
Cochnauer also plays on the Tiger basketball team, which is off to a 10-6 start.
GopherHole recently caught up with Cochnauer after their game versus Eastview to learn the latest on his college recruitment, his Minnesota preferred walk-on offer and senior year.
Gopher Hole: You went down to Minnesota this past Friday before flying down to Central Arkansas the next morning until Sunday. What was that Minnesota experience like?
Zach Cochnauer: It was awesome. None of the facilities I have ever seen compared to that. The equipment room. The locker room. Everything, basically. All the players. Everyone was just awesome.
GopherHole: They had offered you a preferred walk-on opportunity. When did that happen?
Zach Cochnauer: I don’t remember exactly, but it was later last week. We had been talking about it ever since I decommitted and they gave me the walk-on spot last week.
GopherHole: You had committed to Missouri State earlier. What was the reason you decided to re-open your recruitment?
Zach Cochnauer: They had too many returning players and too many kids signed in the transfer portal. They pulled like 30-something kids on the team’s scholarships and 15 kids went unsigned. I’m not in to go with a coaching staff that does that.
GopherHole: Does that make it tough, because you had planned on going there and things changed and some of the schools you were looking at, had things change?
Zach Cochnauer: 100% makes it tough because a lot of the schools I was talking with were talking about scholarships and then a bunch of them had to change to walk-ons because no one really had scholarships left anymore. I’m just glad I had a good senior season and was able to get all these opportunities back.
GopherHole: Has this year been tough in general with COVID and you mentioned the transfer portal? A lot of schools were relying on that and you maybe couldn’t get to as many places and people couldn’t get to you. Has that just made it a tough experience, to be honest?
Zach Cochnauer: You could say it makes it different than most of the recruiting experiences. No one else had to go through this. Our class and the class above us were the ones to really experience that. It kind of makes it tough for our class to get other looks. COVID kind of screwed our class.
GopherHole: You had a really good senior season for Farmington. Made the All-Metro team. AP All-State team. How pleased were you with your senior season?
Zach Cochnauer: I was happy with my personal accomplishments, but I felt as a team, we could have won that one more game against EP and made it to “The Bank.” That was my only goal in the whole season. I could care less about all-states, all-metros. I just wanted to get to that bank with my boys.
GopherHole: Are you going to make any other visits?
Zach Cochnauer: No, I am going to play in an All-American Bowl in Tampa. I am probably going to make my decision Wednesday morning or Thursday night.
GopherHole: When you make that decision what are going to be the main factors that are going to make you pick School A over School B?
Zach Cochnauer: Just the people. Coaching staff. What the town’s like? I went to both towns, so I know what the people are like there. Somewhere I feel welcome.
GopherHole: To be honest, are you kind of down to those two?
Zach Cochnauer: Yes. Central Arkansas and the Gophers.
GopherHole: Central Arkansas offered you a scholarship and the Gophers offered a preferred walk-on opportunity, but to be honest, a lot of those preferred walk-ons who have done well have gotten scholarships. Is that something they have told you that if you do what you need to do, that could happen to you?
Zach Cochnauer: Yes, absolutely. They said if I do what I need to do, they definitely could see me earning a scholarship there, so there are great opportunities at both schools. It will be a tough decision.
GopherHole: Minnesota is the homestate school. Have you always followed them and watched them a lot?
Zach Cochnauer: I used to live in Oklahoma, so I’m a Big 12 fan, but when I moved here, I was for sure, a Minnesota fan. Everyone cheers for it. All my friends cheer for it, so that’s what I’m kind leaning toward.
GopherHole: When did you move to Minnesota?
Zach Cochnauer: About second, third grade.
GopherHole: What do you see as your strengths as an offensive lineman?
Zach Cochnauer: I feel like I am really able to move well and I’m physical off the ball.
GopherHole: What is it going to mean to you, wherever you end up going, to walk on that field the very first game as a college freshman?
Zach Cochnauer: Just another football game, really. I just got to look at it like that and go 100%. It doesn’t matter who you are going against. You can’t overlook or underlook them.
GopherHole: You mentioned the Gophers and a preferred walk-on. What would it mean to have an opportunity to play at that level in the Big Ten?
Zach Cochnauer: It’s a dream. It’s awesome, just the hometown team. I know all my buddies would be there. All my family would be there. Just something I feel that you can’t beat.