December 31st 2024.
As the season began for the Colorado Buffaloes, Hank Zilinskas had secured a starting position. However, things took an unexpected turn and he ended up as a backup. Now, he is on the hunt for a new team. According to a report from 247Sports on Tuesday, Zilinskas has entered the transfer portal after spending two seasons with the Buffaloes. This news comes as a surprise to fans and teammates alike.
Zilinskas, a graduate of Cherry Creek High School, started the first nine games of the season at center. He played an impressive 97% of the offensive snaps for the Buffaloes in the first eight games. Unfortunately, he had a few issues with snapping the ball during the game against Arizona and was ultimately replaced by freshman walk-on, Cash Cleveland. In the following game against Texas Tech, Zilinskas had a rough start and was benched after just six plays, with Cleveland taking over for the rest of the season. Zilinskas only played a total of three snaps in the last four games, with his final appearance being in the 52-0 win against Oklahoma State.
Overall, Zilinskas had the fourth-highest number of snaps played among all offensive linemen for the Buffaloes this season. In his first year with the team as a true freshman in 2023, he played 153 snaps and even started in two games. He was highly regarded by his coaches and teammates, and his transfer comes as a surprise to many.
In other news, despite the 36-14 loss to BYU in the Valero Alamo Bowl, the game attracted a record-breaking number of viewers. The Alamo Bowl announced that it drew in 8.0 million viewers, surpassing the previous record of 7.829 million set in 2010. This game also had the highest viewership for a non-College Football Playoff or New Year's Six bowl game since January 2020. The game between BYU and CU also had a sold-out crowd of 64,261, making it the 12th sellout and 13th largest crowd in the bowl's 32-year history.
On a personal note, CU receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. has received an invitation to the 2025 NFL scouting combine. This is a huge accomplishment for Horn, as the combine brings together the top prospects in the country to showcase their skills for NFL teams. The Buffaloes are proud to have one of their own represent them at such a prestigious event.
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