High School and College Career

Zach Charbonnet was a 4-star high school recruit who joined the University of Michigan. As a freshman, Charbonnet played in 13 games for the Wolverines and showcased his skills as a running back. He carried the ball 149 times, accumulating 726 yards at an impressive average of 4.9 yards per carry. He also scored 11 touchdowns while committing one fumble. Charbonnet also proved to be a reliable receiver, catching eight passes for 30 yards.

In his sophomore year, Charbonnet’s playing time was limited to just five games, but he still managed to impress. He rushed for 124 yards on 19 carries, averaging 6.5 yards per carry, with one touchdown and no fumbles. He also caught six passes for 41 yards.

After the 2020 season, Charbonnet decided to transfer to UCLA where he played as a junior in 2021. He played in 12 games for the Bruins, proving himself to be a valuable asset to the team. He carried the ball 204 times, accumulating 1153 yards at an average of 5.7 yards per carry, while scoring an impressive 13 touchdowns. He also showcased his receiving skills, catching 23 passes for 181 yards.

As a senior in 2022, Charbonnet continued to shine for the Bruins. He played in 10 games, carrying the ball 194 times and amassing an astounding 1358 rushing yards at an average of 7.0 yards per carry. He scored 14 touchdowns and had just one fumble throughout the season. His abilities as a receiver were also on display, as he caught an impressive 37 passes for 320 yards.

Zach Charbonnet Scouting Report Introduction

Zach Charbonnet is a prime example of what can happen when a college football player transfers schools. Originally, Charbonnet enrolled at Michigan and played in a limited capacity for two years. However, his fortunes changed when he transferred to UCLA. During his time there, Charbonnet established himself as one of the top running backs in the country.

One of Charbonnet’s standout qualities is his size and strength. As a running back, he is stout giving him a built-in advantage when trying to power his way through opponents on the field. He has excellent vision and patience when attempting to break through the line of scrimmage. You can tell that Charbonnet is at his best when he is moving north/south and has built up momentum. He is an expert at breaking arm tackles and maintaining his balance even when opponents try to take him down. As someone who is larger than the average running back, Charbonnet is also surprisingly agile, making calculated and decisive cuts that throw off defenders without sacrificing his speed.

It’s worth mentioning that Charbonnet isn’t just a one-trick pony. While he is undoubtedly a stellar running back, he is also skilled in pass-catching. Although you wouldn’t necessarily choose to flex him out as a receiver in the slot, his hands and pass-catching abilities make him more than capable of effectively serving as a three-down back.

Unfortunately, there are a few areas where Charbonnet could stand to improve. His lack of breakaway speed may be a liability at the NFL level, as he may struggle to outrun defenders and make long runs. Additionally, there are occasions when he takes too long to hit the hole, instead opting to dance at the line of scrimmage. This can also occur when he’s facing a defensive wall, and the path to the endzone is not immediately clear. Lastly, Charbonnet runs high, making him an easy target for defenders looking to take him down. As a result, he will need to learn how to lower his pads and make himself a more difficult target to tackle.

Strengths

Zach Charbonnet is a rusher who possesses a unique and impressive combination of size, strength, and speed. His agility, coordination, and footwork make him an effective runner both between the tackles and in open areas on the field. Charbonnet’s ability to find gaps in defensive lines is a testament to his exceptional vision and patience.

Charbonnet rarely goes down on the first hit. He is particularly reliable in short-yardage plays, and his ability to keep his legs moving on contact makes him challenging to tackle. Charbonnet is an excellent interior runner who displays remarkable speed and agility, pressuring the line of scrimmage and bursting through to reach the second level quickly. He is a classic North-South runner who wastes no time moving laterally; instead, he focuses on moving forward to gain yards for his team.

In addition to his impressive rushing skills, Charbonnet also offers an extra dimension to his team as a receiver. As a senior, he was regularly split out wide, showcasing his versatility as an athlete. Charbonnet’s ability to track the ball over his shoulder shows his remarkable flexibility and balance, making him an excellent asset for his team’s passing game. He also possesses the vision and patience required to execute screens successfully.

Zach Charbonnet is an exceptional football player with a diverse skill set that makes him a valuable asset in various areas of the game. His strength, speed, and agility make him an effective rusher, while his receiving abilities and natural athleticism have made him a considerable threat on the field. His instincts, determination, and natural running skills make him a valuable addition to any team that values a workhorse-type back mentality.

Weaknesses

Charbonnet appears indecisive in his playing style, which results in dancing too much at the line of scrimmage. He lacks natural playmaking ability, which limits his potential to become an elite running back. This is compounded by the fact that he’s a bit slow to get to top speed. When breaking down or cutting, it takes him several strides to get back up to near full speed

Charbonnet is more fast than quick, which means that he relies more on his speed instead of quickness. He lacks the super quickness that can make elite backs successful. This suggests that he may need to diversify his skillset to include quickness so that he can adapt to different playing situations.

Another key observation is that Charbonnet does not make tacklers miss. He needs to develop a greater bag of tricks if he is going to succeed in the pros. This can help him to be more versatile and unpredictable in his playing style, thus making it harder for his opponents to predict his next moves.

Charbonnet offers little in pass protection and has poor technique when it comes to cut blocking.

Zach Charbonnet is the 116th prospect on our draft big board.