One of the newest members of Ohio State’s recruiting staff has been named the player personnel director of the year.
Zach Grant, who was hired as Ohio State’s director of player personnel in February, was named by FootballScoop as the player personnel director of the year in recognition of his previous work at Western Kentucky.
At Western Kentucky, where Grant worked from 2017-21, he played a key role in recruiting players like defensive end DeAngelo Malone and quarterback Bailey Zappe – who were selected in the third and fourth round of this past week’s NFL draft, respectively – and wide receiver Jerreth Sterns, who led the nation in receiving last season while Zappe broke the Football Bowl Subdivision records for single-season passing yards and touchdowns.
“There is no doubt Zach is deserving of this award,” Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton told FootballScoop. “Our program wouldn't be where we are today without him. He was a key part of attracting the difference-makers for our program.”
Grant now serves as Mark Pantoni’s right-hand man in Ohio State’s player personnel department after Pantoni was promoted to general manager earlier this year.
“Zach was known to be one of the top up-and-comers in the profession while he was at WKU. He helped Coach Helton build a great roster during his time there, which is why we decided to hire him here,” Pantoni told FootballScoop. “Zach is extremely organized and does a great job evaluating players while understanding how they fit our roster. He is hungry to learn and has been a great addition to our staff.”
