Zabie making waves

Austin (Texas) Westlake offensive tackle Stephan Zabie stands 6-foot-6 and 300-pounds and is beginning to see the recruiting process pick up the pace.

He had to sit out the 2014 season due to transferring, but he is now turning heads with the Chaparrals. His size immediately catches attention, and his athleticism keeps it. However, he prides himself on another aspect of his game.

"What I bring to the table is I'm a very athletic kid and I have good size and quick feet and I'm a learner. That's the most I want to be is coachable," Zabie said. "If you're coachable you can become the best because you learn. You learn from your mistakes and you get better, and I want to get better. I want to get better technique-wise. I want to be technically sound. I want to be a technician. I want to be a great left tackle. I just want to work until I'm the best at everything I do."

Zabie attended the Texas Under the Lights camp and caught the attention of offensive line coach Joe Wickline and head coach Charlie Strong. He returned to Texas for the Longhorns' home opener against Rice. Living in Austin, the Longhorns have already made a strong impression.

"A lot of people around me are Longhorn fans. I live in the backyard of UT," Zabie said. "Just when I went there I felt at home. I felt accepted and that they really wanted me. It's recruiting but you still feel that. They believe in me and my potential."

Coach Wickline has also made a strong impression.

"Me and coach Wickline had a conversation after the game," Zabie said. "We just talked about the future and we talked about football, but we talked about life too. That to me was very important because it showed me he doesn't only care about football. He wants to see what the future holds for me too and it was a very special day."

Another plus for the Longhorns is Westlake quarterback Sam Ehlinger. The Longhorns already have a commitment from the standout quarterback and the two are good friends.

"We were at Texas together. It was a fun trip," Zabie said. "He's one of my good friends so we talk about it. He's my quarterback and I protect him and that's one of the bonuses and pluses of him being committed to Texas already. We're playing high school together so that will be a strong bond going into college. That's one of the reasons why Texas is definitely one of my top just because of Sam. We'll see how it plays out."

In addition to Texas, Zabie has also heard from Oklahoma and offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh. He hopes to take a visit to Norman soon. He also mentioned Georgia, USC, UCLA, and Stanford as schools who would be among his top schools, and right now he is taking in the recruiting process.

"I'm just really looking and weighing all of my options and seeing what's the best fit for me - academic-wise and athletic-wise," Zabie said.

Recruiting is going well and Zabie appreciates all of the attention, but right now his focus is on his junior season and pushing towards a state championship for the Westlake Chaparrals.