Joseph Zelinsky
Joseph Zelinsky
Wins his gap play after play. Joseph Zelinsky has played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. One game to point at: 5 tackles against Notre Dame — Week 12, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Pat Narduzzi.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Narduzzi
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR04 · Rotational
Rotational. Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Pittsburgh | 23 | 10 | 4.5 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Eastern Michigan | 30 | 13 | 5.5 | 2.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Eastern Michigan | 37 | 17 | 6.0 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Eastern Michigan | 11 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 101 | 43 | 16.5 | 6.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 13 · 2025
W 42–28
at Georgia Tech
2 TOT · 1 SOLO · 1 TFL
Edged out Georgia Tech on the road in a shootout.
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Pittsburgh
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Pittsburgh
Returning around him
- 1 Pittsburgh player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -5 net (16 in / 21 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Pittsburgh · Last season: 8-5 (AP #24) · Talent rank #56 · 2026 recruiting class #44
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Eddie Walls III’s 2025 season.
Matches Eddie on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to George Gumbs's senior season at Florida (2025).
Matches George on