‘27 qb malachi ziegler feels nd offense is a fit
Notre Dame has hosted some talented quarterbacks in the 2027 class
this spring, and one is a 6-3 200-pound dual threat in the form of four-
star Malachi Ziegler from Benton (La.) Benton. Benton has been in
contact with the Fighting Irish staff for the last few months and he was
excited to get a more personal impression of coaches, school and the
football program.
“I had a great visit,” Ziegler told LLM. “II got a chance to get
a better understanding of the history of Notre Dame as well as
connecting with the coaches in a more relaxed setting. Everything was
great.
“It was great,” Ziegler continued. “The campus has a majestic feel to it. I
can’t really explain it. The people there are extremely welcoming and
nice. At first, I thought it was them doing what they had to do like a lot of
other places. But no, it really is who they are.”
The Louisiana prep star was impressed with the football side of things on
several levels. His primary focus coming into the visit was the
quarterback, which he knew from reports, were in the middle of a hotly
contested battle. He also wanted to see the offense and defense
compete to gauge the overall team aspect of things.
“The brotherhood that the quarterbacks have is awesome,” Ziegler
elaborated. “They are literally in a competition, but you’d never know it.
They are that close to each other.
“The offense definitely fits who I am,” Ziegler continued. “I’m already
familiar with a lot of the concepts that they are doing. We just call the
plays by different terminology.”
Ziegler thoroughly enjoyed dialogue with both offensive coordinator Mike
Denbrock and quarterback coach Gino Guidugli during the practice.
Both coaches gave him a sense of belonging in a place that was a
mystery but now feels more like a possible future destination.
“I spent most of my time with coach Gino (Guidugli),” Ziegler shared.
“We literally talked about any and everything and continued to build the
relationship that started when he came to my school. I was with him and
the quarterbacks during most of the practice.
“Coach (Mike) Denbrock is hilarious,” Ziegler continued. “I stood next to
him for a while during practice too. He would be a great guy to play for.
We talked about the timeline of them moving forward. No quarterback
offer for my class will go out until May, so they’re going to come watch
me throw next month.”
Ziegler is also a big-time infielder for the Benton Tigers’ baseball team
showing good pop to all fields and the same speed that makes him one
of the best dual threat quarterbacks in his class. Recently, he’s made a
tough decision to leave the sport he truly loves to focus on development
on the gridiron.
“Football has really started to take off for me,” Ziegler stated. “As much
as I love baseball, I’m not going to be able to play this year. Being a
quarterback, my recruitment time is different than other positions. So, I
feel that I need to take advantage of the opportunity that’s in front of me.
I’m planning to return next season though.”
Head coach Marcus Freeman also left a lasting impression with Ziegler
as he returned home from South Bend. The young passer always liked
what he saw of the Fighting Irish leader as he watched the college
football playoffs, but the up close and personal experience was more
than he even imagined.
“I talked to coach (Marcus) Freeman for a good bit,” Ziegler detailed.
“He’s a great guy. I love his philosophy on life and football. He really
thinks I’m a great fit for the school and the football program.”
Ziegler currently holds offers from programs like Texas A&M, Ole Miss,
SMU, LSU and Arkansas to name a few.
