Instant Impact – Zachman is Smart, Versatile, Experienced
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Smart is cool, smart rocks, smart allows you -- in this case, transfer safety Preston Zachman -- to quickly pick up Bryant Haines’ offense-wrecking Indiana defense.
That matters now, as the Hoosiers prepare for summer workouts and then August camp, and then the Sept. 5 season opener against North Texas.
The 6-foot-2, 209-pound Zachman earned five-straight Academic All-Big Ten honors while at Wisconsin. He played in 32 games, starting 17 of them, including the last 15. He totaled seven interceptions. An injury limited him to just three games last season.
What does Zachman, who is in his mid-20s, bring to the Hoosiers?
“I add a lot of experience. I’ve seen a lot of things and played a lot of positions. I bring a knowledge side of the game. A little bit of savviness. I’m able to relate to other players and to be plugged in anywhere.”
Age, it seems, has its advantages.
“It’s a little different being an older guy and coming into a program where a majority of the kids are a couple years younger than me,” Zachman says. “It was a good transition. It’s good experience to get out and meet new people and get comfortable with that.”
Comfort comes with this reality -- playing for Haines is an eye-opening experience.
“Coach Haines is very smart,” Zachman says. “The scheme things he does are new to me and been great for me. It’s really improved my knowledge of the game.”
So does facing offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan’s diverse attack, first at Wisconsin and then during spring practice.
“They’re very good,” Zachman says. “They do a lot of things that put the defense in a lot of stress. They do a good job of challenging us.”
Zachman’s decision to come to Indiana after entering the transfer portal involved many factors, including last season’s 16-0 national championship and the fact the Hoosiers are 27-2 in head coach Curt Cignetti’s two seasons.
“I saw the obvious success,” he says. “Then, after talking with some of the coaches, and learning their philosophies on scheme and how they run things. It was a way to grow my knowledge of the game. That’s what I wanted. I felt like these coaches were the coaches to do that.”
Zachman got extra insight from former tight end Riley Nowakowski. They’d played together and become close friends at Wisconsin before Nowakowski transferred to IU prior to last season. He was a key factor in the national championship.
“Once the portal opened,” Zachman says, “I talked to him to get some insight. He was a close friend, and I knew he’d be honest with me about what this place is like. It was everything I was looking for. He was a lot of help in getting me here.”
So was the fact Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Brunner had entered the transfer portal and was also considering IU. Brunner eventually signed with the Hoosiers.
“We have a good relationship,” Zachman says. “We’d been at Wisconsin for a while. Once the portal opened, we talked back and forth. We said, we want to do this together. It’s been great for us. Our connection and relationship has grown from there.”
Zachman joins Hoosier veteran Amare Ferrell at safety.
“It was easy, with the experience he has and the experience I have, for us to communicate out there and be on the same page. That’s the most important thing – communication and being on the same page.”
Adds Ferrell: “We have a great relationship. He's played a lot of football. He came from a great defensive school, so he was able to pick up on things a lot quicker than a lot of guys that have played in this defense.”
Zachman and Ferrell are anchors in what projects as another strong secondary. IU also brought in Cincinnati safety Jiquan Sanks as well as Penn State cornerback A.J. Harris. The Hoosiers return cornerback Jamari Sharpe (who had the victory clinching interception against Miami in the national title game) as well as Ryland Gandy and Byron Baldwin Jr.
“There’s a lot of experience back there,” Zachman says. “That’s a huge thing when you have a lot of game experience from a lot of players. You know how things work in a game. I can play a lot of different positions. I’m very versatile. I can do a lot of things. A lot of guys can play a lot of different positions. They’re very versatile. You can do a lot of things and move a lot of us around.”
Veteran linebacker Isaiah Jones likes what he’s seen so far.
“Preston Zachman has really stepped up with leadership and being able to communicate. He and Amare Ferrell will be a great combination at safety.”
Zachman knows about winning. He played on three Pennsylvania high school state title teams at Southern Columbia, which compiled a 63-1 record in that stretch, including 16-0 as a senior in 2019. He was an all-state linebacker (four career defensive touchdowns) as well as a standout quarterback and receiver. As a senior, he threw for 1,925 yards and 30 touchdowns while rushing for 370 yards and six TDs, and totaled 26 tackles, three interceptions, and one fumble recovery.
In his spare time, he wrestled and played baseball.
What could it all mean for the Hoosiers? Cignetti has praised the defense’s skill and depth. Preston saw the spring signs.
“We saw a lot of good, especially from the younger guys and just the whole group in general,” he says. “We’re seeing where guys have grown and how deep we are in certain positions.”