Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2025 79 2025 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE and 1 touchdown. Ben Davis beat Crown Point (Ind.) High 38-10. Zackery was a two-way star as a ju- nior. He collected 39 tackles, 8 passes broken up, 4 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries and 2 forced fumbles on de- fense. On offense, he contributed 53 catches for 823 yards and 8 touchdowns. Ben Davis took a step back in his se- nior season. The team went 5-6 and lost in the sectional championship to Brownsburg (Ind.) High Still, Zackery's senior year was so impressive that the Indiana Football Coaches Association named him "Mr. Football" in 2024. He had a remarkable season on of- fense, catching 58 passes for 1,036 yards and 12 touchdowns. According to Mann, Zackery finished 67 yards short of being the school's all-time leading receiver. His 1,036-yard campaign was third in school history for a single season. "He's one of the best receivers in the state of Indiana," Mann said. Zackery has also been one of the Hoo- sier State's best defensive backs since he was a freshman. On defense as a senior, he accounted for 62 tackles, 4 stops for loss, 1 sack, 4 passes broken up, 8 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery and 2 blocked punts — all while playing safety. Notre Dame recruited Zackery as a cornerback. However, Mann did not rule out Zackery finding a way to con- tribute early in his career at safety or elsewhere. "There are so many tools that the kid has for so many different positions when he gets to Notre Dame," Mann said. "He had more solo tackles at safety than his previous three years at corner. He still looked as skilled and talented. The playmaking ability developed this year to tackle and seek out the run game. "It helped him check the box as a complete player for Notre Dame once he finds his way on the field. I know he was recruited at corner, but being able to develop the skills in different posi- tions gives him the tools needed to find a way in the lineup earlier." Instead of enrolling early at Notre Dame, Zackery stayed in high school another semester to help the basketball team win a state championship. Last year, they fell short of repeating, losing 65-56 to Fishers (Ind.) High. He hopes to help the team experience a different outcome this year. As of Feb. 7, Zackery had not played in a game due to a minor injury. However, he is eyeing a return in time for the state tournament. If he were to help them win, it would mean something special. Mann only knew of a few Indianapolis area athletes offhand who have helped their schools win state championships in football and basketball. Winning three total is all but unheard of. But as Zackery proved when he was chasing an all-conference receiver as a freshman, he's capable of anything. "For Mark, it was, 'You think that was special? Wait to see the next time I'm in a big moment in a big game,'" Mann said. "His pattern of success is that ev- ery big game and every big tournament has a big Mark Zackery story." And that story is far from over. Now, it will continue 148 miles north at Notre Dame. ✦ "There are so many tools that the kid has for so many different positions when he gets to Notre Dame." INDIANAPOLIS BEN DAVIS COACH RUSS MANN ON ZACKERY MARK ZACKERY IV CORNERBACK 6-0 ∙ 170 BEN DAVIS H.S. INDIANAPOLIS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 148 21 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 119 15 3 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 177 21 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 228 25 3 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 27 4 STATISTICS • Compiled 62 tackles (57 solo), 4 stops for loss, 1 sack, 8 interceptions, 4 passes broken up, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble, 1 quarterback hurry and 2 blocked punts in 11 games as a senior. Was also a major contributor on offense, collecting 58 recep- tions for 1,036 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had 8 kick returns for 187 yards. • As junior, notched 39 tackles (37 solo), 4 inter- ceptions, 8 passes broken up, 3 fumble recoveries and 2 forced fumbles, helping Ben Davis win an Indiana Class 6A state championship. On offense, he had 53 catches for 823 yards and 8 touchdowns. NOTABLE • MaxPreps second-team All-American as a de- fensive all-purpose player in 2024. • IndyStar Indiana Mr. Football and MaxPreps Indiana High School Football Player of the Year as a senior. • Indiana Football Coaches Association Top 50 All-State Team pick in 2024 and 2023. • Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Under- class Supreme 15 selection as a junior after averag- ing 11.0 points, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. • Member of the National Honor Society and Honor Roll. RECRUITMENT • Committed to the Fighting Irish on May 25, 2024. • Closely considered Cincinnati, Florida and Michigan. • Recruited by defensive backs coach Mike Mickens. • Visited Notre Dame 11 times, including for his official visit on June 7, 2024. 2025 PROJECTION • Has a chance to contribute at cornerback or nickel. THEY SAID IT Head coach Marcus Freeman: "He's one of the few football players that can truly play basketball. Most of our guys that play basketball are football players just on the basketball court. He's a bas- ketball player on the court. He is a unique talent." On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "Zackery is a baller, and that's on Friday nights on the football field or the basketball court. He's highly competitive and productive in every op- portunity and high school athletic setting. "Zackery plays with good instincts, has a natural feel for operating in space and has strong ball skills. He's coordinated — it's not hard to see the basketball background transfer to football. He's good in contested catch situations on both sides of the ball. "As a pure football player, there's a lot to like, and he has a high skill level and gets the most out of his ability. If you're a Notre Dame fan, you must be excited about his competitiveness and success. He's been around a lot of winning, and it's in large part due to his play. "Zackery has a lot going for him when looking at a versatile, two-way player who projects as a corner. This is another big get for Notre Dame in the secondary in this class." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "Zackery shows good length and exceptional bal- ance, is quick in transition, has a very smooth backpedal and can hit. On the offensive side of the ball, he shows a good pair of hands and excellent ball skills at wide receiver."