The American Football Coaches Association named Chris Corbo ’26 and Owen Zalc ’27 preseason All-Americans. Corbo was named to the first team and Zalc was named to the second team. Both were named All-Ivy athletes last season, naming them some of the best football players in the Ivy-League.
Coming out of one of the best individual seasons by a Dartmouth football player in recent history, tight end Chris Corbo ’26 is entering his senior year with national recognition and high expectations. In the 2024 season, Corbo led the Big Green with seven touchdown receptions in seven of the 10 games — the highest number of receptions by a Dartmouth player since 2019 and the second highest among tight ends for the season nationally, according to Dartmouth Athletics. The accomplishment earned him the title of first team All-Ivy alongside four All-American honors, including first team selections from the AFCA and the Walter Camp Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team – the only tight end in the nation to receive the second honor. Boasting 32 catches and 315 yards, Corbo was one of the most consistent threats in the Ivy League, leading his position nationally with 1.4 touchdowns per game, according to Dartmouth Sports.
Sophomore kicker Owen Zalc ’27 has also quickly built a reputation as one of the most consistent and reliable players in the nation, according to Dartmouth Athletics. Named the Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Year in 2024, Zalc connected on 13 of his attempted field goals during the season, including a program-record 54-yarder against Harvard University. Zalc is also a two-time first team All-Ivy selection. The recipient of multiple freshman All-American honors, he holds Dartmouth and Ivy League records for most field goals in a season.
The Dartmouth caught up with Corbo and Zalc as they prepare for the 2025 season to talk about awards, leadership and what they’re most excited for in the upcoming season.
How did it feel to earn both an All-Ivy and All-American recognition?
CC: It’s good to know that all the work that I’ve put in is starting to be noticed, but it wouldn’t be possible without my coaches and my teammates. They believe in me; they get me the ball and let me do all this stuff on the field.
OZ: I like to say that it’s more of a result of the situation that the team has put me in. The better they do on offense and defense allows me to get easier field goals and more field goals. Part of it is quantity – just how many you can attempt – and then the second part is obviously how many you can make, so it’s a reflection of the team and what they continue to do for me.
Owen, you hit some important kicks last season, including the record field goal against Harvard. What goes through your head in those high-pressure moments?
OZ: I like to say that if you treat every kick the same, there aren’t really high pressure moments. So if you put the same amount of pressure on every single kick, which ideally is little to none, then it’s just the same kick. That kind of goes beyond a physical standpoint to a mental standpoint: if you treat every kick with the exact same weight, there’s never a moment that’s going to shock you more than another.
Chris, you scored in seven of the team’s ten games last year. How did you build this level of consistency, and how do you plan to continue it?
CC: It’s just trusting the game plan and the coaches, and then using my size to box out the guys that cover me. I just plan on working on different things that didn’t work last year and improving that aspect of being able to get open in different ways and attacking the ball in different ways.
You’ve now been recognized as a preseason All-American. How do you approach a new season with that kind of spotlight?
CC: I’m doing everything that I used to – just at a higher level – and more. Every year since getting to college, I’ve done more each off season. So it’s just continuing to put more on my plate, whether it’s extra running after extra lifting or extra field work. It is just going in with the same approach, being confident and trusting the guys around me, trusting the coaches. Obviously, the recognition is great, but you still have to do what you’re supposed to on the field.
OZ: Honestly, I’m approaching the exact same as I approached my freshman season. I don’t want to say the awards don’t matter; obviously, it's nice to be recognized. But to me, it doesn’t really matter what distinctions or what awards I get, because my goal is always to perform the best that I can for the betterment of the team. Going into the season, I’m going to do the same thing I tried to do the last two seasons. And then, win an Ivy League Championship and move on to the playoffs.
What is it like being a student-athlete at Dartmouth?
CC: It’s tough, but it’s also very rewarding. It can really test your mental health, your desire to do both. But no one does it the way that we do, and it’s going to pay off in the long run, whether it’s the next level in sports or just in the job: the discipline, the getting up every morning, the schedule. So overall, it’s amazing.
OZ: It’s definitely tough, but we have an incredible support system. Dartmouth Peak Performance works super closely with student athletes whether they need mental support, academic support or career support. There’s so many resources available that it kind of takes the load off of just us. I’ve tried as hard as I can to use any resource that’s available when I need the help so I don’t get stuck on my own.
How have you stepped into a leadership role on the team?
CC: Over the years, I’ve worked on becoming more vocal, but it’s not only about your words. I could say all I want, but if I’m not backing up what I say, then people aren’t going to listen to me or trust me. I make sure that what I’m saying, I’m doing. I love being able to step in front of a team and say what I have to say – or be a visual example – and rally the guys.
OZ: Within our position group, we’ve all kind of had a similar leadership experience because we’re all the same age. Going into a third year playing, I feel we all have developed more knowledge that we can share, that we can provide to the freshmen and the sophomores. From a physical perspective, we can help our rising sophomore punter get acclimatized to getting ready to play and to step up.
Do you have a favorite game or moment from last season?
CC: Without a doubt, Dartmouth-Yale was my favorite game. At one point we looked at ESPN, and I’m pretty sure we had a 1.9% chance to win the game. We were down by 23 with seven minutes left and came back and won in overtime. And, on top of that, I think I probably had 60 family members and friends there. Having them all there to witness that was great. It was one of the most unbelievable games I’ve ever played in.
OZ: My favorite moment is when we were watching the Harvard-Yale game on our scoreboard. I think the situation was, if Yale won, we got to share the title. Everybody was arm in arm, hand in hand, just watching. Then when Yale won, we all just immediately started celebrating. Ideally, we don’t have to wait for another game to determine if we win or not, but it is fun watching it play out. It was a really nice moment with the seniors that were leaving and everybody who put this much work into that season.
Looking ahead to the 2025 season, what are you most excited for?
CC: Personally, I’m excited to step into bigger roles and show that it wasn’t just a one year thing. As a team, we can really see the guys stepping up and wanting to learn and wanting to work hard. But the most exciting thing is being able to compete in the playoffs because there’s no more ties for the championship. We have our eyes set on not just being the first Ivy team to ever compete, but also on making a playoff run, and we have the guys to do it. I’m excited to go in every week and execute what we’re supposed to. Because if we do, I have a feeling that we can be very, very good.
OZ: The chance to go to the playoffs – that was a huge, huge milestone in Ivy League football. I think being the first Ivy League team to play and win a playoff game would be incredible, and I truly think we have the capabilities to do that.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
