Chandler Zavala returning to NC State football after NCAA changes mind, grants waiver
The drama surrounding the return of N.C. State lineman Chandler Zavala to the school for a sixth year of football eligibility has reached a conclusion.
Zavala posted to social media Thursday night that he is returning to the Wolfpack, meaning the NCAA reversed course on a waiver exemption it had originally denied.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to comeback and represent the wolfpack for another year. Let’s run it back!! Thank you all for the endless support,” Zavala wrote in a tweet.
“So thankful for Chandler getting the opportunity to finish his career this fall!” N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren said in an official statement released later Thursday night. “It’s been a long process for him and he is such an incredible young man. I am super appreciative to our compliance office, Boo Corrigan, and Chandler’s attorney for supporting and fighting for him. I can’t wait to see #64 back on the grass with his brothers and coaches!”
Doeren was more to the point in a post on his Twitter account: “So Happy for Chandler and thankful he gets to finish his journey with this team and staff!!!”
Zavala, his family and the university had said in April they were considering legal action if their final appeal to the NCAA was denied.
“Boo (Corrigan) and our administration side of things have worked with our compliance office to hire an attorney,” Doeren said at the time. “That’s where we’re at. We’re just kind of waiting for all the fact-finding to be done.”
Doeren said then that the attorneys would present Zavala’s case to the NCAA and “hope for the best.”
The best, it appears, has happened.
Zavala’s journey
Zavala transferred to N.C. State last fall after playing three years at Division II Fairmont State, which didn’t have a season in 2020 because of COVID-19. Zavala graduated from the school and arrived in Raleigh with one year of eligibility remaining.
After five starts for N.C., Zavala missed the rest of 2021 with an injury. He was hoping to get an extra year of eligibility from the NCAA by applying for a medical waiver, but was denied.
Zavala only played in three games at Fairmont State as a freshman in 2017. A player can maintain their redshirt season if they play in four or fewer games.
NC State with Zavala
Doeren believes Zavala was on his way to becoming an All-ACC caliber offensive lineman before his injury.
Standing 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds, Zavala was a wall at the left guard position. With the massive Zavala in the lineup, the N.C. State rushing numbers were night and day compared to when he was out.
In the first five games, the Pack averaged 172 rushing yards per game. In the first five contests, Zonovan Knight rushed for more than 100 yards two times. In the seven games without Zavala, the best individual performance by a Wolfpack back was a 75-yard game by Knight at Florida State.
As a team, N.C. State rushed for more than 200 yards twice in those first five games with Zavala on the line, including 293 yards rushing in the opener against South Florida. Their best rushing performance as a team without Zavala was 130 yards against Boston College. The Pack averaged 93.4 yards on the ground in the final seven games. N.C. State finished next to last in the conference in rushing.
This story was originally published May 5, 2022 at 7:50 PM.
