Copperas Cove lineman Matt Zeigler earns three-star recruiting rating

A 6-foot-4, 240-pound edge defender from Copperas Cove has given the Bulldawgs another reason to believe their next hometown name is already on the rise. Matt Zeigler, a 2027 prospect at Copperas Cove High School, earned a three-star recruiting rating from Dave Campbell’s Texas Football and is beginning to draw national attention from college programs.

Zeigler’s profile already shows the kind of early traction that usually belongs to far more established prospects. 247Sports lists him as a 6-4, 240-pound edge player and shows seven offers as of late March 2026, including North Texas, UTSA, Air Force, Army, Idaho, Dartmouth and Texas State. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football also lists Zeigler as uncommitted on its recruiting profile, with no state or position rank shown on the page.

For Copperas Cove, Zeigler’s rise matters because it comes from a program still working to rebuild its footing in District 12-6A. The Bulldawgs went 4-6 in 2024 and had not made the playoffs since the 2018 season when Rodney Southern was hired as head football coach and athletic director in March 2025. That backdrop gives every recruiting breakthrough extra weight in Coryell County, where a player like Zeigler can become a symbol of how quickly the program’s ceiling can change.

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football says its 2027 rankings are built from coach recommendations, in-person evaluations and film review, a process that helps explain why Zeigler’s size and development have pushed him into the spotlight so early. MaxPreps lists him as a junior in the 2027 class and a two-sport athlete in football and basketball, with his football position shown as WR/DE and his basketball roster entry added on Dec. 8, 2025.

That combination of frame, versatility and early college interest is what makes Zeigler the name Copperas Cove fans will be watching most closely this season. If he keeps turning his length and athleticism into steady production for the Bulldawgs, the three-star label could become just the first step in a recruiting climb that keeps Copperas Cove on the map well beyond Coryell County.