2023 Football Roster
Zdroik, Payton
vs
Hawaii
Sep 27 (Sat)
2:00 pm MT

Jersey Number 96
Payton Zdroik
- Height:
- 6-0
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Brentwood, CA
- High School:
- Liberty
- Position:
- DL
Bio
2024 – Played in 10 games, six starts ... missed two due to injury … second on team in TFL with 6.5 for 28 yards and sacks with 3.0 for 15 yards … three tackles, TFL at Nevada … two tackles, sack, two QBH vs. San Jose State … four tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.0 sacks and a forced fumble vs. Merrimack … preseason first-team all-MW by Athlon Sports, second-team all-MW by Phil Steele Magazine, East-West Shrine Bowl Top 100 Watch List, College Football Network preseason first-team all-MW, College Football Network preseason Interior Defender of the Year, HERO Sports preseason Group of 5 first-team All-American and Sports Info Solutions preseason first-team all-MW.
2023 – Played in 10 games, eight starts … three straight games with a tackle for loss … two tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry vs. James Madison in the bowl game … one tackle and a TFL at Boise State … three tackles and a sack vs. UNLV … matched his career high with six tackles at Navy, also had a sack … four tackles, 1.5 TFL and a sack vs. Wyoming … career-high six tackles and a sack vs. Sam Houston … preseason all-MW selection … Group of 5 preseason All-American by HERO … received a medical turnback in the spring and returned to the Academy in the fall of 2023.
2022 – Played in 13 games, starting 10 … second on the team in TFL with 10.0 for 47 yards and sacks with 5.5 for 37 yards … led all DL with 30 total tackles … seven straight games with a TFL … career highs of four tackles and 2.0 TFL vs. Baylor in the bowl game … two tackles, 1.5 TFL, forced fumble and QBH at SDSU … three tackles and a career-best 2.0 sacks for 13 yards vs. Colorado State ... also had a QB hurry … two tackles and a sack vs. New Mexico … career-high five tackles and 0.5 sacks vs. Army … three tackles and a TFL vs. Boise State … two tackles and a TFL at UNLV … recorded a QB hurry vs. Navy … three tackles at Wyoming … two tackles and a sack vs. Colorado … played in the first game of his career, making first-career start vs. UNI, and recorded two tackles, one unassisted.
2021 – Did not see any action.
High School – Lettered in football and baseball ... three-time first-team all-league selection on offense and defense in football ... all-state honors three years ... earned All-America honors ... helped team to the state championship as a junior ... football coach was Ryan Partridge.
Personal – Parents are Daniel Zdroik and Kelly Fedel ... both parents are Air Force Academy graduates ... his father played football and his mother was a swimmer ... has an older sister ... majoring in business management ... attended the Air Force Academy Prep School and played football.
Career Highs
UT: 5 vs. Sam Houston, 2023
AT: 4 vs. Navy, 2023
TOT: 6 vs. Navy, 2023
TFL: 2.5 vs. Merrimack, 2024
Career Statistics
Tackles
Year G U-A-T TFL Sacks
2024 10 15-3-18 6.5-28 3.0-15
2023 7 14-15-29 6.5-30 4.5-21
2022 13 18-12-30 10.0-47 5.5-37
Total 30 47-30-77 23.0-105 13.0-73
2023 – Played in 10 games, eight starts … three straight games with a tackle for loss … two tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry vs. James Madison in the bowl game … one tackle and a TFL at Boise State … three tackles and a sack vs. UNLV … matched his career high with six tackles at Navy, also had a sack … four tackles, 1.5 TFL and a sack vs. Wyoming … career-high six tackles and a sack vs. Sam Houston … preseason all-MW selection … Group of 5 preseason All-American by HERO … received a medical turnback in the spring and returned to the Academy in the fall of 2023.
2022 – Played in 13 games, starting 10 … second on the team in TFL with 10.0 for 47 yards and sacks with 5.5 for 37 yards … led all DL with 30 total tackles … seven straight games with a TFL … career highs of four tackles and 2.0 TFL vs. Baylor in the bowl game … two tackles, 1.5 TFL, forced fumble and QBH at SDSU … three tackles and a career-best 2.0 sacks for 13 yards vs. Colorado State ... also had a QB hurry … two tackles and a sack vs. New Mexico … career-high five tackles and 0.5 sacks vs. Army … three tackles and a TFL vs. Boise State … two tackles and a TFL at UNLV … recorded a QB hurry vs. Navy … three tackles at Wyoming … two tackles and a sack vs. Colorado … played in the first game of his career, making first-career start vs. UNI, and recorded two tackles, one unassisted.
2021 – Did not see any action.
High School – Lettered in football and baseball ... three-time first-team all-league selection on offense and defense in football ... all-state honors three years ... earned All-America honors ... helped team to the state championship as a junior ... football coach was Ryan Partridge.
Personal – Parents are Daniel Zdroik and Kelly Fedel ... both parents are Air Force Academy graduates ... his father played football and his mother was a swimmer ... has an older sister ... majoring in business management ... attended the Air Force Academy Prep School and played football.
Career Highs
UT: 5 vs. Sam Houston, 2023
AT: 4 vs. Navy, 2023
TOT: 6 vs. Navy, 2023
TFL: 2.5 vs. Merrimack, 2024
Career Statistics
Tackles
Year G U-A-T TFL Sacks
2024 10 15-3-18 6.5-28 3.0-15
2023 7 14-15-29 6.5-30 4.5-21
2022 13 18-12-30 10.0-47 5.5-37
Total 30 47-30-77 23.0-105 13.0-73
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