Preston Zachman’s past life as a quarterback helping him thrive at safety

MADISON — Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord faked the handoff, rolled out to his right and looked for wide receiver Carnell Tate in the end zone. What he found was Badgers’ safety Preston Zachman.

“I was kinda just free on the play, just reading off the QBs eyes. He rolled out, and I saw one of the receivers from the backside running free a little bit,” Zachman said. “I was just trying to cut him off, just playing the QBs eyes and he threw it right to me.”

The pick would stymie the Buckeyes’ offense in the red zone as they looked to go up two scores. It was the first of the season for Zachman, a stat fellow safety Hunter Wohler has a hard time believing.

“I’m a little surprised that Saturday was his first pick, because I see him and how he works every single day,” Wohler said. “He’s only gonna get better.”

Zachman’s interception was a culmination of the somewhat astonishing season the safety has put together thus far. He’s played 284 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, easily the second-most out of any Badgers’ safety. He’s supplanted 6th-year senior Travain Blaylock as well as Kamo’i Latu, who started for much of the 2022 season.

Zachman, however, maintains that he didn’t see his expanded role coming.

“I wouldn’t say I expected any playing time. Our safety room is very talented, obviously, and we have a lot of different guys that can play,” he said. “I just think that’s kinda the way it’s worked out so far that I’ve gotten that amount of reps.”

Zachman is not necessarily a safety by trade. Recruited to Wisconsin as an athlete, he began his career as an inside linebacker. Before the 2022 season, he made the switch to the safety room.

“That was somewhat of a transition, but I had been used to playing all different positions pretty much my whole life,” he said. “I mean, inside linebacker I never played before I got here. Never played it in high school, I never played safety in high school.”

In fact, Zachman played quarterback at Southern Columbia Area High School in Catawissa, Pennsylvania. He believes his past life as a signal caller on offense has helped him adjust to being a versatile safety used everywhere in Mike Tressel’s defense.

“I view safety as the quarterback of the defense. You’re kinda running the show in the back end, you see the bigger picture,” he said. “I pride myself on being the smartest player out on the field, being knowledgeable of not only our defense, but then what the offense is doing. What the QB’s thinking, what he’s doing with his eyes. If he’s trying to fool me, if he’s staring someone down.”

In the offseason, from the glimpses of the team reporters saw in spring and fall camp, defensive coordinator Tressel appeared to favor a top three of Wohler, Latu and Blaylock at safety, often deploying them simultaneously as part of his dollar package. As fall crept in, Latu struggled early with missed tackles. Blaylock, meanwhile, hasn’t played since Week 3. That left the door open for Zachman to see the field, and he took full advantage.

“Just being dependable, knowing many different positions,” he said. “Trying to be consistent and not make mistakes, that can earn you (snaps) on the field.”

Therein lies what may be the biggest key to Zachman’s success this season: his ability to play all over the field. 42 percent of his snaps have come from the box, 30 percent have come from the back end and 26 percent have come from the slot. He’s also lined up sparingly at the outside corner.

“There’s pros and cons to (each),” the safety said. “I like to be more in the back end playing centerfield, just following the QBs eyes. But it’s also fun sometimes to get in the box and get up and hit some people.”

Head coach Luke Fickell pointed to his versatility as one of the biggest reasons Zachman has played as much as he has.

“He’s a guy that kinda gets moved around, but can handle it. Can still play consistent, can still play fast and aggressive,” Fickell said. “I think that’s sometimes where a guy like him could struggle…But every time we continue to adapt and adjust his role, he continues to grow.”

“He’s done nothing but continue to impress us.”

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