Scarlet Sunrise: From enemies to brothers, the unique connection between Mike Hall and Zak Zinter

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From enemies to brothers, the unique connection between Mike Hall and Zak Zinter

The Cleveland Browns selected defensive tackle Mike Hall with the No. 54 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft.

The Cleveland Browns selected offensive guard Zak Zinter with the No. 85 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft.

Hall played at Ohio State. Zinter played at Michigan.

Together, they took part in the greatest rivalry in college football.

And during last year’s installment, Hall was blocked into Zinter’s leg. In the process, Zinter’s left tibia and fibula broke. The Game came to a screeching halt, Zinter had to be carted off, and his college career came to a tragic end, while Michigan continued its national championship run.

Hall reached out to Zinter after the injury to check in on him. Zinter holds nothing against Hall and chalks up the injury to life in the trenches.

Now draft classmates and teammates with Hall, Zinter believes everything has come full-circle.

Hall, sitting to Zinter’s right in the practice facility, still referred to Michigan as “The Team Up North.” But he, too, focused on turning the page now that he and Zinter have entered the next phase of their football careers with the Browns.

“Being my rival throughout my career and then finally being teammates here, it’s crazy to see him in the building” Hall said with a chuckle in his introductory Browns press conference Saturday. “I’m going to be seeing him day in and day out. But I mean we’re brothers now, and it’s all about that.”

Zinter later added: “I guess we were enemies in college, but now we’re brothers and teammates.”

Zinter, a unanimous first-team All-American and team captain in 2023, is medically cleared. He’ll have more 1-on-1 battles with Hall coming up, only this time those battles will take place in practice, not in games — or The Game, rather.

As for how often they lined up over each other the last three seasons?

“A couple times, yeah,” Zinter said. “He got me on one play.”

Hall laughed, as he was quick to do Saturday in the facility of his hometown team.

“Yeah, it was a pretty good battle,” the Streetsboro, Ohio, native said. “He would get me a couple of times, but it’s just it’s all about competing at the highest level, for sure.”

In Cleveland, they’ll be doing that every day instead of just the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

What Ja’Had Carter entering transfer portal means for Buckeyes

Ohio State safety Ja’Had Carter entered the transfer portal Sunday night, leaving the Buckeyes with only six scholarship safeties.

While Ohio State has an abundance of depth at most positions, especially on the defensive side of the ball, it is relatively thin at safety.

Lettermen Row is breaking down the impact of Carter’s decision to re-enter the portal after spending just one season with the Buckeyes.

Get that analysis here.

Projected salaries, bonuses for Ohio State players selected in 2024 NFL Draft

Ohio State had one first-round selection in this year’s NFL Draft. Another former Buckeyes player went in the second round, then another in the fourth round and one more heard his name called in the fifth.

Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., defensive tackle Mike Hall, tight end Cade Stover and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg are starting their NFL careers as draft picks.

Those players are set to make significant money, and Lettermen Row has a breakdown of their projected rookie contracts, according to Spotrac.com.

Check those out here.

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 125 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 216 days

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