Burlington Central’s ‘Incredible Hult’ Zach Hultgren commits to Miami (Ohio)

Zach Hultgren, Burlington Central’s 6-foot-5, 285-pound offensive tackle, suspects he would get beat by a swim move.

His little sister’s.

“I don’t like to give my siblings too much confidence,” Hultgren said laughing. “But I would get destroyed swimming against her.”

Fortunately for Central’s “Incredible Hult,” swimming against his eighth-grade sister, Eleanor, is not something he has to worry about. Hultgren is much better at not getting beat by swim moves, and other techniques, by defensive linemen. The junior is so good, in fact, that he announced on X over the weekend that he has accepted a scholarship offer from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

“Athletically, Zach is the complete package,” Burlington Central coach Brian Iossi said. “He is explosive, physical and relentless on the field. His toughness and intensity are qualities that consistently stood out to college coaches throughout the recruiting process.”

Hultgren said he had about 15 NCAA Division-I offers. Owner of a 4.4 GPA on a 4.0 scale, he turned down, among others, Harvard, Penn, Yale, Toledo, Eastern Michigan, NIU and Air Force. He plans on studying computer science or computer engineering.

Miami (Ohio) went 9-5, including 7-1 in the Mid-American Conference, last season. The RedHawks beat Colorado State 43-17 in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, after losing to Ohio 38-3 in the Mid-American Conference championship game. It was their second straight appearance in the conference title game and third since 2019. They have won two MAC championships under coach Chuck Martin.

“The coaches did a great job of recruiting me,” Hultgren said. “I always felt welcomed, wanted at Miami of Ohio. The campus is awesome. ... I got a chance to talk to the players, and I felt I fit in.”

The RedHawks offered Hultgren a scholarship at a home game late last year. He attended their camp last summer, twice visited for junior days and plans to take an official visit this summer. Toledo was the first to offer him a scholarship, last summer.

Hultgren played varsity football as a sophomore and enjoyed a breakout season, as did Central, last fall. A team captain, he started at left tackle. Led by quarterback Jackson Alcorn (the Fox Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year), the Rockets went 8-3, averaged 30.5 points a game, qualified for the postseason for the first time in 10 years and won their first playoff game since 2006.

“The mentality has changed. The whole culture has changed,” Hultgren said. “I’m glad to have been at the changing point of it.”

Hultgren is a D I-bound athlete who plays three varsity sports. He also plays basketball and competes in track and field (shot put and discus) for the Rockets. His commitment to all three sports is not surprising considering when he was younger he also tried figure skating, ice hockey, soccer, gymnastics and wrestling. He has aspirations of qualifying for state in the shot put and discus this spring.

Hultgren said his parents, Eric, who played football for the Air Force and Iowa, and Kristin, an NIU graduate who played high school softball, made playing sports the norm for him and siblings Ben and Eleanor. Ben, a sophomore, started at outside linebacker on varsity last fall.

“I’ve played almost every sport under the sun,” Hultgren said. “My parents were very adamant about us as kids trying everything and finding what we loved the most. I’ve really appreciated that because I’m very confident that the sports that I’m playing now are the sports that I enjoy the most.”

Iossi calls Hultgren “a great young man.” He lauds the student-athlete’s dedication, which also includes early-morning weight-lifting with his football teammates, all while maintaining an A average in the classroom and competing in three sports.

“Zach’s ceiling is sky-high,” Iossi said. “His work ethic and drive make his future incredibly bright, and we’re excited to continue supporting him as he takes this next step in his journey.”