Vikings Bring in Record-Setting QB With Local Ties After Award-Winning Season

Head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings will hold their rookie minicamp from May 9 through May 11, and they will have a new quarterback in Zach Zebrowski slinging the ball to their group of roster hopefuls while also looking to make the cut.

Zebrowski was a two-year starter at the University of Central Missouri.

“@zach_zebrowski5 is off to rookie mini camp with the @Vikings,” the Mules’ social media team posted on X on May 8. “#EPIC.”

Zebrowski is a mobile QB listed at 6-foot-2 and a little over 200 pounds. He has put up gaudy numbers, but he also hails from not one but two smaller programs. Still, Zebrowski was CBS Sports’ Emory Hunt’s No. 1 QB off the board in a small college mock draft.

“Zebrowski is a two-time winner of the Harlon Hill Trophy, which is the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, after a sensational career at Central Missouri,” Hunt wrote in April. “He’s one of the best QBs in the draft class, regardless of subdivision, and to me, the clear-cut top small college quarterback in the country.”

Zebrowski completed 68.3% of his passes for 9,881 yards, 101 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions as the Mules’ QB1. He threw 61 touchdown passes in 2023.

“Best 2 years of my life!” Zebrowski posted on X in December. “Go Mules [heart hands emoji].”

Vikings Minicamp QB Zach Zebrowski Has Local Ties

Zebrowski posted a 32-1-0 line on 4-for-5 passing for the Southern Illinois Salukis in 2022. He was the only QB to throw during the Kansas City Chiefs’ local prospect day in April. KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson called Zebrowski a “high IQ” prospect who had an “outstanding throwing session.”

Attending minicamp with the Vikings is a bit of a full-circle moment for Zebrowski, who turns 24 in June.

His father, Jim Zebrowski, is the co-offensive coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Before that, though, the elder Zebrowski was the QB coach for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 2011 through 2015. Born in Decatur, Illinois, the younger Zebrowski also attended high school in Minnesota at East Ridge in Woodbury.

There, he was the Conference Player of the Year and First-Team All-Conference as a senior in 2018. He set the program’s single-season assists record.

Zebrowski was also an All-Suburban East Conference selection in basketball.

Zach Zebrowski Faces Uphill Battle for Roster Spot

Zebrowski joins a suddenly crowded QB room that officially includes 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, 2022 fifth-round pick Kenny Pickett (Washington Commanders), and journeyman undrafted free agent Brett Rypien.

At least in rookie minicamp, Zebrowski’s primary competition will be former Gophers QB Max Brosmer.

Both players ranked on NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter’s top UDFA list.

Brosmer was also an undrafted free agent and received a relatively sizeable contract to join the Vikings after the draft. Brosmer checked in at No. 2 on the list while Zebrowski ranked 12th. Even if Zebrowski beats out Brosmer during rookie minicamp, making the roster will be tricky.

McCarthy is on track to be the Vikings’ QB1, and the team traded for Howell this offseason. That leaves Rypien as presumably the most passable on the depth chart.

However, Rypien returned to the Vikings in free agency this offseason, likely for a reason.