Former Notre Dame starter has his NFL future put in jeopardy after latest injury setback ended his brief stint in the NFC North
A former Notre Dame star just received some bad news
Former NC State and Notre Dame offensive lineman Zeke Correll has been busy with his newest venture this offseason, trying to make the Minnesota Vikings roster as an undrafted free agent. Correll suffered some unfortunate injury news during Saturday’s preseason game against the Houston Texans, having fractured his ankle during the victory.
With that injury, Correll’s NFL future was put on hold. The Vikings chose to waive Correll on Tuesday with an injury settlement. The 24-year old offensive lineman will now focus on getting healthy for his next NFL chance, hopefully.
Originally playing his high school football for Cincinnati (Ohio) Anderson, Correll was a member of the 2019 recruiting class for the Irish. When he signed with Notre Dame, there was a lot of excitement for what the 6-3, 285-pound offensive lineman brought to the table. Correll was rated by 247 Sports as the No. 81 overall player in the class, also holding offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Tennessee, Clemson, Penn State, and Nebraska among many others.
After not playing a ton early in his Fighting Irish career, Correll would earn a starting role at offensive guard and struggled mightily. When he had opportunities at his natural center position, he played well, especially during the 2022 season. That was Correll’s best with the blue and gold.
He had some solid moments in 2023, but was plagued by an injury and inconsistency. With the ascension of Ashton Craig at center, it became very apparent that Correll was no longer a part of the future plans for the Notre Dame offensive line. Correll opted to utilize the Transfer Portal last offseason with one season of eligibility remaining.
That led Correll to NC State, where he would start all 13 games in 2024 at center for the Wolfpack. Despite some borderline draftable grades before the season, Correll would go underrated during the 2025 NFL Draft class. He was hoping to compete behind veteran Ryan Kelly to stick in Minnesota, but the injury derailed those plans.
Correll, unfortunately, isn’t a tremendous physical talent. He is a smaller interior lineman who needs some level of athleticism to overcompensate for that size. He will need to get back to full health and mobility in order to try and stick long term.
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