If you follow college football, the name Herbstreit is basically royalty. But in 2023, the headlines surrounding the family shifted from the broadcast booth to a hospital room at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center. People started whispering about a Zak Herbstreit heart transplant, and honestly, the rumor mill went into overdrive. It’s one of those stories that shows how fast "medical evaluation" can turn into "life-altering crisis" in the public eye.
The reality of what happened to Zak Herbstreit is actually more nuanced—and in some ways, scarier—than a simple surgery narrative.
The Scare That Came Out of Nowhere
It started like a regular summer for a D1 athlete. Zak, a preferred walk-on tight end for the Buckeyes, thought he had a lingering case of pneumonia. He had some fluid in his lungs and just wasn't feeling right. Standard stuff, right? Wrong.
When doctors finally ran an echocardiogram, they didn't find a respiratory infection. They found heart failure.
Kirk Herbstreit later opened up on The Pat McAfee Show, describing the situation as a total whirlwind. One minute your son is training for the season, the next you’re talking to cardiologists about his heart not pumping blood correctly. It’s the kind of news that stops a father’s world mid-spin.
Zak was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, specifically an enlarged left ventricle.
Was There Actually a Heart Transplant?
This is where the confusion lives. To be clear: Zak Herbstreit did not undergo a heart transplant. However, the reason people keep searching for that term is because the possibility was very much on the table. Kirk admitted that during the darkest days of the diagnosis, a "heart replacement" (transplant) was discussed as a potential necessity if Zak’s heart didn't respond to medication.
Imagine being 20 years old and hearing that.
The medical team put him on a strict regimen of drugs to see if the heart muscle could recover on its own. It was a "wait and see" game that lasted months. For the Herbstreit family, it wasn't about football anymore; it was about whether Zak could live a normal life.
Life After the Diagnosis
The 2024 season was supposed to be a comeback, but the heart had other plans. While Zak’s condition improved significantly with medication, the risks of playing high-intensity college football were simply too high.
He had to medically retire.
It’s a brutal ending to a dream, especially for a third-generation Buckeye. But Ohio State didn't just cut him loose. Ryan Day and the coaching staff kept him in the fold as a student coach. Seeing him on the sidelines in his jersey during the Buckeyes' 2025 National Championship run was an emotional peak for the family. Kirk was visibly moved on air, later saying he was just grateful to see his son standing there after everything they’d been through.
Why the "Echo" Matters
If there’s one takeaway the Herbstreits want people to have, it’s about the echocardiogram.
Kirk has become an advocate for more rigorous heart screening in college sports. He’s argued that a standard physical or a basic EKG isn't always enough to catch these silent killers. Zak had almost no symptoms until it was nearly too late.
- EKGs look at electrical activity.
- Echos (ultrasounds) look at the actual structure and pumping power.
Without that specific test, Zak might have collapsed on the field. That’s a sobering thought for any parent of an athlete.
👉 See also: Ben Roethlisberger Broken Nose: What Really Happened That Night in Baltimore
Where is Zak Herbstreit Now?
By the summer of 2025, Zak had pivoted his career path. Since he couldn't play, he leaned into the family business—media. He joined On3 as a national college football analyst, hosting a show called Off Script with Zak Herbstreit.
He’s healthy, his heart has stabilized, and he’s found a way to stay in the game without the pads. It’s not the road he planned, but as he posted on Instagram after the championship win, "it all worked out in the end."
Managing Your Own Heart Health Risks
If you’re an athlete or the parent of one, Zak’s story is a reminder that "fit" doesn't always mean "healthy." Here are the actionable steps experts recommend following a scare like this:
- Request an Echocardiogram: If you have a family history of heart issues or experience unexplained shortness of breath, ask for an echo specifically. Don't rely solely on a standard sports physical.
- Monitor "Pneumonia" Symptoms: If "fluid in the lungs" doesn't clear up with standard treatment, push for a cardiac consult. It’s a common misdiagnosis for heart failure.
- Know the Signs of Cardiomyopathy: These include swelling in the legs/feet, bloating, and fatigue that feels "different" than normal training exhaustion.
- Support AED Access: Ensure your local school or gym has an automated external defibrillator and staff trained to use it.
The Zak Herbstreit heart transplant rumors might have been a bit ahead of the reality, but the crisis was real enough to change their lives forever.
Final Insights on the Recovery Journey
Zak's recovery wasn't a sprint; it was a slow, agonizing walk—literally. Kirk described their early recovery days as just walking the dogs to the end of the street and back. It’s a reminder that even the strongest athletes have to start from zero when the heart is involved. Today, the focus is on long-term management. While he likely won't be taking hits on a football field again, the fact that he's thriving in a broadcast role is the best possible outcome for a situation that could have ended in tragedy.