Zach Shackelford 2020 NFL Draft Profile
NFL Teams looking for a late round prospect with leadership qualities need not look further than Texas center Zach Shackelford. The Longhorn captain was coached by Bob Shipley at Belton High School, becoming a two-time all-state honoree and four-year starter. He was rated No. 45 among guards nationally and No. 97 overall in Texas by ESPN before moving to center. Shackelford was part of an offense that averaged 40.9 points, 442.6 total yards and 284.4 rushing yards per game. In addition to football, he participated in powerlifting through junior year in high school, and track and field (shot put and discus) as a freshman and sophomore. Shackelford committed to Texas following high school.
College
As a freshman, Zach Shackelford started in the season opener against then No.10 Notre Dame, helping the Longhorns to a 50-47 upset in double overtime. He earned FWAA Freshman All-American honors and was honorable mention All-Big 12 while being named to the All-Big 12 underclassmen team by ESPN.com. In his sophomore season, he was named Academic All-Big 12 Second Team while playing in 10 games, making eight starts. In his junior year, Shackelford played in 11 games with 10 starts and was named first team All-Big 12 by the AP and second team by the coaches. He concluded his junior year by starting at center during Texas’ 28-21 win over Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
As a senior, Shackelford played in and started 13 games at center while being named a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award and a semifinalist for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy. He was part of a Texas OL that helped protect QB Sam Ehlinger account for 4,326 yards of total offense (No. 2 in school history) and 39 total touchdowns (No. 3).
Strengths
- Great lateral mobility;
- Strong Hands;
- High IQ;
- Strong leadership;
- Fluid on the line;
- High Athleticism.
Weaknesses
- Issues with consistency against blocks;
- Lacks proper balance;
- Below average anchor;
- Struggles with power on point of attack;
- Competitive toughness not consistent;
- Lack of versatility.
Bottom Line on Zach Shackelford
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