Oklahoma State University Athletics
2023 Football Roster
Roster
Zeke Zaragoza
- Height:
- 5-10
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Ontario, CA
- High School:
- Ontario Christian
2023 First Team Academic All-Big 12 (4.0 GPA)
2022 First Team Academic All-Big 12
A walk-on with an amazing story of overcoming a rare medical condition to become a Power Five football player ... Has served as the primary backup to All-America selection Matt Hembrough for his first three seasons then stepped into a role as a starter as a super senior in 2023.
2023 (Super Senior): A fiirst team Academic All-Big 12 honoree who has a 4.0 GPA ... Served as the long snapper on OSU’s place kicks all season, playing in all 14 games ... Had 79 long snaps on the year with a perfect snap rate ... Helped kicker Alex Hale become the NCAA statisticaal champion for field goals per game and earn Lou Groza Award semifinalist honors, snapping for all of his place kicks for the season ... Served as a game captain against West Virginia.
2022 (Senior): A first team Academic All-Big 12 honoree ... Played in the win over UAPB ... Finished the game with a perfect snap rate on two punts and three placekicks.
2021 (Junior): Honored as one of six FBS players who on the 2021 Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team, which recognizes leaders in college football who have realized their potential to make a positive and lasting impact on the Rare Disease Community ... Saw action in both wins over Kansas and TCU, with a perfect snap rate on his long snaps in both games.
2020 (Sophomore): Arrived at OSU as a preferred walk-on ... Listed as the No. 2 long snapper on the depth chart all season ... Played in his first FBS football game on Oct. 3 at Kansas, executing a perfect snap in the fourth quarter that resulted in a made 24-yard field goal by Brady Pohl during OSU’s win in Lawrence.
Before OSU: Began his collegiate career with a commitment to Dordt College, but moved on to the junior college level to play at San Bernardino Valley College under coach Daniel Algattas ... Had a successful JUCO career, snapping without incident and receiving first team honors on the All-California team in 2019 ... Received several scholarship offers at lower-level schools, but chose to become a preferred walk-on at Oklahoma State.
High School: Played for coach Matt Hoekstra at Ontario Christian, graduating in 2018 ... Played three years of varsity football as a center and long snapper ... Worked with Matt Wigley, a former San Jose State long snapper and coach to develop his skills as a long snapper ... Committed to Dordt College out of high school but then went to junior college at San Bernardino Valley College.
Personal: Ezekiel Ray Zaragoza is the son of Eddy and Chanin Zaragoza ... Became disabled at three-years-old and was diagnosed by a team of 25 neurologists with opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome, a rare disorder that affects the nervous system and affects just one in 10 million people annually ... Was confined to a wheelchair and doctors told him he would never be able to play a sport or ride a bike ... His parents opted for aggressive treatment that included steroid shots in his thigh two times per day for two years, chemotherapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and other medications to get the disorder under control ... Entered remission by the age of seven and began playing football at 10-years-old ... Has said, “I don’t take credit for any of this. I believe God did a miracle on me and that He really healed me for me to use this story.” ... University Studies major.
