WARRENSBURG — There was a little more anticipation than a year ago as Zach Zebrowski awaited the announcement of the Harlon Hill Award winner on Friday, Dec. 20.
But like 2023, Zebrowski still came out on top. He compiled 177 points in the final voting by sports information directors, 25 ahead of Charleston running back Chavon Wright.
Zebrowski is the fifth repeat winner of the honor, given to the most outstanding player in NCAA Division II, since it began in 1986. He is the first MIAA athlete to have accomplished the feat.
“Last year, it was a crazy, crazy year and ‘I think I should win it,’” Zebrowski said. “This year, it was ‘I think I should,’ but there was a little more indecisiveness. I had a few more nerves at times. The cool part is being around everybody, having some of my teammates come back, my family, the AD and President Best and all my coaches. I think that was the coolest part of winning it.”
The path to repeating began when the University of Central Missouri announced Zebrowski's planned return to the Mules on Dec. 4, 2023.
Eleven days later the Woodbury, Minnesota, native was named as the 2023 Harlon Hill Winner, coming off a season that featured two one-point losses, including one to eventual national champion Harding in the second round of the postseason.
The ensuing 371 days involved periods of leadership, growth and big-time moments.
“The cool thing is, Zach didn’t come back to win the Harlon Hill,” Central Missouri head coach Josh Lamberson said. “That’s not why he came back to the University of Central Missouri. He came back to win a national championship, he came back to be a captain, he came back to be a team leader. He came back because of his teammates. The individual awards just happened along the way. That’s what I’m so proud of him for. He came back for the team reasons.”
One of the many highlights included a 62-47 win against Missouri Southern on Nov. 16, where Zebrowski completed 44-of-47 passes for 614 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 26 yards and three touchdowns.
In total, Zebrowski completed 372-of-553 (67.3%) of his passes for 4,724 yards and 40 touchdowns. He also ran for 599 yards and 10 touchdowns on 132 carries.
Zebrowski’s 4,724 passing yards, 443.6 yards per game of total offense and 393.7 passing yards per game are the most out of any division (FBS, FCS, II, III) in college football.
Zebrowski also led Division II with his 40 passing touchdowns and 302 points responsible for. He was second in DII in completions per game with 31.
"I think I have the confidence in myself that I can go make a play wherever," Zebrowski said. "The coolest thing, I think I touched about it after the bowl game, is seeing the sideline and them knowing that something good is going to happen when it matters and when I gotta do it, I think they have a big part in that, too. When you see 100 kids on the sideline believing in you and trusting in what you’re going to do, I think you can’t do anything but have confidence.”
Zebrowski began his college football career at Southern Illinois University.
He had played in six games over two years as a backup before ultimately opting to transfer to the University of Central Missouri in late spring 2022.
Zebrowski was not slated to be the starter ahead of his first season, but after three offensive possessions, the Mules opted to put Zebrowski in over Cedric Case.
The rest is written in between the numbers of a two-year stretch that featured a 20-5 record, 9,881 passing yards, 101 passing touchdowns, 1,132 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.
"He came in here with something to prove," Lamberson said. "I know we talk about it a lot, he didn't even actually start the very first game the he was a part of the University of Central Missouri. He had three series where he didn't start and the rest of it is kind of history. I do think that speaks volumes again for him for what he is about, the way that he prepares, the way that he competes, the way he performs in those moments where everything is on the line. That's really when he is at his best."
Zebrowski is second all-time in UCM’s record books in touchdown passes, passing yards, total offense (11,013) and pass completions (789).
He is the second UCM athlete to receive Harlon Hill recognition, joined by quarterback Eric Czerniewski in 2010.
“I just want the community to know how grateful I am,” Zebrowski said. “I’ve bragged about to all of my friends back home is ‘yeah, we’re DII and we get 10,000 people at all our games, I go to places in the city and they all recognize me or say congrats and stuff.’”
In 2024, Zebrowski helped lead the Mules to a 9-3 season that concluded with a 39-37 win over the University of Texas Permian Basin in the Heritage Bowl.
Central Missouri began the year 3-1, but stood 3-3 at the season’s midway point.
“I think as a competitor, it didn’t matter how it was going or what happened in the past,” Zebrowski said. “You’re coming to win the day or win the game every time. I think it was rough. I mean, 3-3 and you're trying to win a national championship, you might be out of the playoff picture. I think just kind of the competitiveness of our team, we weren’t going to let that happen. We weren't gonna fold on the pressure.”
The Mules proceeded to win five consecutive games to close the regular season 8-3.
They were one of the first two teams outside of the Division II Super Region 3 playoff picture.
UCM’s performance was enough to be one of four DII programs that had the chance to play in a bowl game in 2024.
“[We] very easily could have gone off the rails and went into a different direction,” Lamberson said. “The way that Zach was able to rally the troops, the way that he continued to lead our football team, the way that he continued to play in games - here’s the amazing thing. Every time we needed a play, whether it be this year or last year - Zach made it. There weren’t any of those moments where it was like ‘gosh, we just didn’t make plays.' He made the plays every time. I think that’s what’s pretty incredible about what he was able to do.”
Along with the Harlon Hill Award, Zebrowski’s national accolades also included the D2CCA Ron Lenz Offensive Player of the Year along with AFCA, AP and D2CCA First Team All-American honors.
His honors also included D2CCA Super Region III and MIAA Offensive Player of the year, First Team All-MIAA and First Team D2CCA All-Super Region III.
Zebrowski received MIAA Offensive Player of the Week accolades five times, and was the Nov. 19 D2Foootball.com National Offensive Player of the Week.
“It’s a historical significance,” Lamberson said of Zebrowski’s Harlon Hill award. “I’m so proud of Zach, excited for Zach and thankful for Zach and the things he has been able to accomplish here. Lamberson said. “The way he represented the University of Central Missouri in such an outstanding fashion is a testament to him and his family.”
With his college eligibility exhausted, Zebrowski now plans to chase the dream of playing professional football.
On Dec. 18, TEST Football Academy NFL Prep Quarterback Coach Tony Racioppi announced Zebrowski as a client on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Zebrowski said his goal is to take football as far as possible.
“I think I’m going to give it everything that I got,” Zebrowski said. “I’m already training and working right now. We’ll see what happens with Pro Days, the draft, free agency and all of that. Right now I got one goal. It’s to play football as long as I can.”
Joe Andrews can be reached at 660-747-8123.
