Massachusetts LB Preston Zinter commits to Notre Dame football

Lawrence (Mass.) Central Catholic class of 2023 linebacker Preston Zinter committed to Notre Dame Friday afternoon, he announced live on CBS Sports HQ.

Zinter’s public pledge to the Irish comes less than two weeks after his last visit to South Bend, which was Jan. 29. He has been to Notre Dame’s campus four times, including two visits last summer and the USC game last October.

When Zinter saw the Irish knock off the Trojans 31-16 in person is when he felt in his heart that Notre Dame would eventually be the choice for him.

“With that atmosphere and game-day experience, I knew it was the spot to be,” Zinter told BlueandGold.com. “I decided to go back up there again [at the end of January] to make sure that it was the right choice, and it sealed the deal. That was it for me.”

When asked why he picked the Fighting Irish, Zinter had a question of his own to ask.

“It really came down to why not Notre Dame? It has everything I want,” he said. “They’re one of the top football programs every year, and it’s one of the best colleges academically. Notre Dame has a ton of tradition, and I love the new coaching staff and how much I relate to them.

“Coach [Marcus] Freeman is building something special there. I want to be a part of that. The brotherhood and tradition there is unmatched.”

Zinter informed the Irish staff last Friday that he would be committing to Notre Dame.

“I was on a FaceTime with Coach [Chad] Bowden, Coach Freeman and Coach [Nick] Lezynski,” Zinter noted. “They were super excited and pumped up that I made the decision. They can’t wait to have me there.”

Versatility is the name of Zinter’s game. He could play H-back, tight end, weak-side defensive end or at a linebacker spot for Notre Dame. Zinter’s position at Notre Dame is far from set in stone just yet.

“In talking to Coach Freeman and the staff, they could see me at all three of their linebacker positions,” he added. “It’ll be all about how I develop when I get there and which spot I’m most comfortable at. My development will decide everything.”

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Zinter is ready for the Notre Dame committed life

Zinter’s original plan was to visit a handful of schools in the South in March, including Clemson, Georgia and LSU. The latter two schools had already offered Zinter, while Clemson had been picking up their interest. Those visits are now off, and Zinter is putting the recruiting process behind him.

“There’s a weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Zinter, who stands at 6-2, 220 pounds. “Now I can express where I want to be and the school I want to represent. I’m just excited.”

We’re not expecting to see drama and other visits from Zinter. By all accounts, the Irish’s newest commit will be locked in with his pledge moving forward.

“I’m going to bring a ton of energy and work ethic to Notre Dame,” Zinter added. “I’m going to make Fighting Irish fans proud and help bring home a national championship.”

Zinter is looking forward to getting to know some of the Notre Dame commits, and he’s already been on a couple of visits with one in particular.

“One of the commits who I’ve been able to sit down with and get to know his family is Drayk Bowen, the other linebacker commit,” Zinter said. “I’m looking forward to having that friendship build.”

He’s already planning on recruiting a couple of Massachusetts’ top 2023 prospects; both players already hold offers from the Irish.

“Ronan Hanafin is one of my best friends; I’m definitely going to recruit him,” Zinter said. “And the big offensive lineman, Samson [Okunlola], I’m going to hit him up and see if we can pull him there too.”

The Preston Zinter file

Zinter is the nation’s No. 44 linebacker and No. 434 overall player per the 2023 On3 Consensus. He’s also the No. 4 prospect from the state of Massachusetts.

He picked Notre Dame over offers from Boston College, Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State, USC, Georgia, LSU, Auburn, Louisville, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Arizona, South Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Massachusetts, Connecticut, UCF, Duke, Nebraska and Rhode Island.

Zinter tallied 62 tackles (9.0 for loss) on his way to being named the 2021 Merrimack Valley Defensive Player of the Year and to the Massachusetts Super 26 all-state team.

Notre Dame has nine commitments thus far in its 2023 recruiting class, which is ranked No. 2 in the land per the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings.

Zinter is the younger brother of Michigan rising junior offensive lineman Zak Zinter, who was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2021.

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