Ryan Day consistently exceeded expectations at Ohio State, churning out top-10 recruiting classes year after year. Among those was the four-star offensive tackle he picked in 2021—Zen Michalski. He arrived with big dreams of a national championship, which the team finally won in 2024. Michalski’s time at Ohio State was challenging, he recalls. Even though he didn’t play in the 2024 playoffs with Will Howard or in 2023 with Kyle McCord at quarterback, he learned a lot from both. Now, in an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, he chooses between the two when put on the spot.
Zen Michalski spent his four years at Ohio State as a backup, first watching Paris Johnson become the sixth draft pick in 2023. Then, he waited behind Josh Simmons. When Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury against Oregon, it looked like Michalski’s chance had finally arrived. However, it wasn’t meant to be.
Expectations were high when he finally got to protect Will Howard’s blind side against Nebraska. But in that very game, Michalski himself got injured and was sidelined for the rest of the season. Now, as he’s transferred to Indiana for his final year of college football, he reflects that his time at Ohio State, tough as it was, was still filled with learning.
Michalski watched OSU win the national championship and admired Will Howard’s heroics throughout the season. Yet, he still remembers Kyle McCord, who came in with him in the 2021 class and with whom he shares a close bond. In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, our host Andrew Whitelaw asked Michalski who he’d choose if he had to pick just one: Will Howard or Kyle McCord?
Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Thayer Munford 75 blocks tight end Cade Stover 16 and offensive lineman Zen Michalski 65 during football training camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in Columbus on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021. Ohio State Football Training Camp Columbus OH , EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xAdamxCairns/ColumbusxDispatchx 16522868
The offensive tackle admitted it was a tough question but ultimately chose Will Howard, and he went on to explain why. “I think if I could choose both of them, I could. I mean, obviously. I came up with Kyle. Kyle was in my class, and it’s tough. I love both the dudes a lot. I mean, obviously, our team, we won a natty with Will. So, Will’s forever going to be a legendary Buckeye, so I guess we’ll go with Will Howard, but I love Kyle,” Michalski said.
Will Howard led Ohio State to their ninth national title, beating Notre Dame 34-23, etching his name into Buckeyes history. This 23-year-old Pennsylvania native, once an overlooked three-star recruit, finally found glory after a winding four-year journey at Kansas State. Now with the NFL’s Steelers, he might continue that momentum.
While Will Howard’s heroics are known widely, McCord also exceeded expectations and showed his prowess with Syracuse in 2024. In the 2023 season, when Kyle McCord was the starter, he notched up 3,170 yards with a 65.8% efficiency. However, after not getting assurances to be the QB1 after the loss against Michigan in 2023, McCord decided to transfer, and Fran Brown immediately signed him. At Syracuse, he led the team to exceed all expectations with a 10-3 season in the ACC and was the architect of the iconic comeback against Miami.
In that game, McCord helped overcome a 21-point deficit, making one of the biggest upsets of the season. In total, McCord totaled 4,779 yards in the ACC, breaking the conference’s single-season record, and went on to be drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. But while McCord was having the best season of his career, Michalski was having self-doubts, as he recalls.
Zen Michalski recalls the ‘tough’ time after his injury
Zen Michalski, a Floyd Knobs, Indiana native, had everyone in his hometown eager to watch him play against Nebraska once his spot in the game was confirmed. “He‘s a superhero. He’s the big-time talk in town. He handles it extremely well. He’s a very humble guy. Zen’s the type of guy that you want your sons or daughters to aspire to be like,” said Michalski’s high school coach James Bragg to cleveland.com ahead of the Nebraska game. But all these dreams came crashing down after his injury against Nebraska.
“It was kind of hard, because I just had to keep reminding myself that I’m here, I’m ready to go. Like I could have left after my third year, going somewhere, but I really wanted to stay. I believed in what we had built as a team for 2024,” Michalski told EssentiallySports in an exclusive interview about the mental toughness it took to get through that injury. Now that he’s in Indiana, though, this season could finally be his!
Under Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers became one of college football’s best feel-good stories, exceeding all expectations. Cignetti remarkably led the team to an 11-2 season in the challenging Big Ten. So, with that momentum heading into the 2025 season, and with Zen Michalski now set to start at right tackle, could we finally see him at his very best?
The post (EXCLUSIVE) Ex-OSU OL Zen Michalski Picks Between Will Howard & Kyle McCord appeared first on EssentiallySports.
