Preston Zinter
American football player (born 2004)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Preston Grant Zinter (born January 24, 2004)[1] is an American college football tight end for the Rice Owls of the American Conference. He previously played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as a linebacker and defensive end.
| No. 9 – Rice Owls | |
|---|---|
| Position | Tight end |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 24, 2004[1] |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Central Catholic (North Andover, Massachusetts) |
| College |
|
| Stats at ESPN | |
High school career
Zinter played for Central Catholic High School. He received several collegiate scholarship offers during his time at the school.[2] He was named to the all-state team by the Massachusetts High School Football Association in 2021.[3]
College career
Notre Dame
Zinter committed to Notre Dame in February 2022.[4] He officially signed with the team in December of the same year.[5] He enrolled with the school early, in February 2023.[6] He was redshirted in 2023, and played as a reserve linebacker during the 2024 season.[7] He played in all sixteen games of the season.[8]
In 2025, Zinter switched to play as a defensive end and led the team in special teams snaps. By the end of the season, he has nine career tackles.[9] He entered the transfer portal in January 2026.[10]
Rice
On January 13, 2026, Zinter committed to the Rice Owls as a tight end.[11] [12]
Personal life
Zinter's brother, Zak, played for the Michigan Wolverines at the time that Zinter committed to Notre Dame.[13]