Your Favorite College Football OC Loves Louisiana 2027 QB Malachi Zeigler

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

Us college football recruiting nerds love it when a guy like Malachi Zeigler comes on the scene. All the boxes one wants to check for a high school quarterback that is on the path to do great things at the next level, Zeigler (6-3, 206) has it. The other thing that Zeigler has and will add more of – scholarships.

All a prospect needs is one good one, and Zeigler has 13 next level opportunities so far. The early list wanting the 2027 talent includes Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, TCU, and Texas Tech.

Fall trips took the Benton High School (Benton, Louis.) QB to Ole Miss, Miss State, Arkansas, SMU, TCU, and Oklahoma State. Two big trips have been taken already this offseason.

“I visited Alabama and Oklahoma, those were really good visits,” Zeigler said. “I enjoyed my time there.”

Insight into what stood out during the Tuscaloosa visit was given, “First thing was the work ethic. The weather was not good, it was high winds and chilly, but the guys were locked in and working. They were not worried about the conditions; it was straight ball.”

The action in Norman impressed Zeigler as well.

“First thing was Oklahoma is known for producing quarterbacks,” Zeigler stated. “Their practice was cool. I loved the competition. They had a live period in the stadium; I got to see their guys and the transfers, seeing them interacting and playing ball.”

Two more trips are locked in for the four-star.

“This week I am going to Notre Dame and Michigan,” Zeigler said.

What has Zeigler juiced about heading to South Bend was shared, “I am excited. This will be my first time being up north. I am excited to visit their campus and to talk to (QB) coach Gino Guidugli again. I’ve had really good conversations with him when he’s come down to my school.”

A friend in Ann Arbor adds to the anticipation of hanging with the Wolverines.

“They got (QB) Bryce (Underwood),” Zeigler stated. “I trained with him a few weeks ago, seeing him in person was surreal. I will get to see him again. I’m in contact with coach (Josh) Sinagoga (AQB); I want to meet him in person.”

As soon as coaches could hit the trail in 2025, the Benton campus was a hot spot.

“There were quite a few in January,” Zeigler stated. “Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Mississippi State’s (HC) Jeff Lebby, FSU, Tennessee, USC, Texas Tech, Houston, Baylor, LSU, Ole Miss – there were quite a few.”

When the Tigers hit the field for spring practice with scouts watching, Zeigler will be ready thanks to all the extra work put into his craft.

“This offseason – I am always hitting the weight room hard to get bigger, faster, and stronger,” Zeigler said. “In terms of QB training, I’ve been working to get smarter with the X’s and O’s, recognizing defenses, getting more confidence, and being more accurate.”

Working with QB coach Damian Williams in Dallas is helping Zeigler take those next steps.

“We work on a lot of different things,” Zeigler shared. “Some days you might not have the ball in your hands working on roll out footwork, working on runs, daggers, or specific concepts; it just varies.”

Playing 7-on-7 with Fleaux is another piece of Zeigler’s spring grind.

“I’m working on my game in numerous ways, the biggest one that is active is 7-on-7,” Zeigler stated. “I get to see it first-hand. I work on the whiteboard to learn coverages, but you know they can disguise it. My QB coach will put up different looks; the more confusing it is in training the easier it is on Friday nights.”

Zeigler continued covering his tournament action with Fleaux, “It is going alright. We competed at Battle Miami, we did well out there. We did not do well last weekend at OT7, but we have more tournaments coming up. We have another OT7 in April, that will be our chance to get it back.”

Exposure camps is another area where Zeigler is standing out. On Saturday he performed at the Elite 11 regional in Austin (Texas).

“It was fun,” Zeigler shared. “You get out there and get to compete against the guys and compete against friends. I tied and won the Panini accuracy challenge; they gave me a hoodie and everything.”

Photo credit: Zeigler family; Malachi Zeigler with USC head coach Lincoln Riley and at Mississippi State with Jeff Lebby.