2027 QB Malachi Zeigler Previews Upcoming Notre Dame Visit

Malachi Zeigler‍ already has a dozen offers, but the 2027 Louisiana quarterback isn’t only prioritizing the schools that have offered already. 

Notre Dame hasn’t offered yet, but has shown serious early interest, which is why Zeigler will be in South Bend on March 27th and 28th.

“I'll be there for two of their practices,” Zeigler tells Irish Sports Daily.

Notre Dame quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli visited Benton High School to check on Zeigler a year ago and returned last month. 

“When he came back again in January and we had what I would call an in-depth conversation,” says Zeigler. “I got a better feel for him and him me. We just kept in touch. It was a no-brainer for my family and I to make getting out there a priority.”

The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder has early offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Mississippi State among others.

He appreciates the early interest from Guidugli and the Irish. 

“Them coming to the school two years in a row,” says Zeigler. “They first came my freshman year back before all the rankings came out and before the stars and before the offers and all that. 

“I guess for them to travel this far and notice something within me that early in my recruitment and development and just football career, I would say in the grand scheme of things, I don't know, it just meant something and so we prioritize them now.”

Guidugli has also made a strong early impression.

“He is extremely smart,” Zeigler said of Guidugli. “This most recent time he was at the school, we got to talk ball and he kind of picked at my brain a little bit and me back at him. It was just one of the first things I picked up, he's super smart. 

“Character-wise, he's just a great person to be around and you can tell why his quarterbacks play so hard for him.”

Zeigler wants to take in as much as he can of the Notre Dame program while in South Bend.

“That's one of the reasons we're going over there for two days in a row,” he said. “It is so far, we want to maximize the amount of time that we're up there. For two days, I feel like we'll have a great gauge of just how they interact with their quarterbacks and not necessarily with their starters, but with their bench players and how they treat the team as a whole and how the players respond. 

“I am a Christian and I do follow Christ, so I would love to get that feel, that vibe for some spots that they told me that I've got to check out when I get up there. Just a bunch of small things like that that kind of inch up to let you know where home is.”

Zeigler is also planning upcoming visits to Michigan, USC, Baylor, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

He’s planning to narrow his list down internally after this spring and summer, although he may not publicly release a list of favorites. He isn’t sure when he’ll make a final decision. 

“We're not necessarily going to rush to commit. That's something that I feel is just a when you know, you know kind of thing.”

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