Known best for being a freshman cornerback on the Notre Dame football team, Mark Zackery did a little roster crossover this winter with Micah Shrewsberry's basketball squad. However, that little venture is now officially over.
Zackery joined the basketball team shortly after the football season officially ended when the Irish bowed out of the Pop-Tarts Bowl. He then played in four games after getting up to speed.
On Saturday, Notre Dame announced that Zackery is ditching the two-sport approach and going back to Marcus Freeman's squad. The timing comes as the Fighting Irish's basketball season hasn't lived up to expectations.
Notre Dame cornerback Mark Zackery IV is no longer with the Irish basketball program per media relations. He's re-joined the football team for winter conditioning.
— Tim O'Malley (@timomalleyND) January 24, 2026
Mark Zackery returns full-time to Notre Dame football after basketball stint
He also hasn't played that much, and it's officially time for winter conditioning for the Notre Dame football team.
In all, Zackery's four appearances on the basketball court involved the games against North Carolina, Clemson, Stanford, and Cal. Three of those four games were Irish losses, and the most minutes the defensive back turned guard logged was 6, against the Tar Heels.
Zackery finishes his freshman basketball season, hitting one of four shots, scoring 2 points, getting 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. While hardly earth-shattering, considering he started 2025 expecting to only focus on football, it was far from a bad showing, especially against one of the best teams in the ACC and the country.
Zackery now joins Jordan Faison, Brandon Logan, and Drayk Bowen as members of the current Notre Dame football team who serve, or have served as two-sport athletes—an impressive rarity in this day and age.
Faison decided to forego this season of Lacrosse in order to focus on football. Likewise, Bowen is no longer a part of the baseball team. However, Logan is expected to start practice with the Notre Dame baseball team and fight for playing time in the 2026 season.