Trey Zuhn has gone from a “string bean” a decade ago to a rugged 320-pound offensive lineman who will hear his name called in the NFL draft.

Zuhn grew up in Fort Collins and attended Fossil Ridge High School before starring at Texas A&M. He is projected by many analysts to be taken in the third round Friday night or the fourth round Saturday.

With that in mind, his father, James Zuhn Jr., looked back this week at his son’s journey.

“He was a string bean. He had grown pretty tall, but he had no mass behind him,” Zuhn Jr. said of his son being about 6-foot-4 in eighth grade, two inches shorter than his now listed height of 6-6. “His freshman year, he played defensive end and was like 205 (pounds). It was after that that they moved him to offensive line and he really started packing on the weight. … I’m thrilled to see him now transition to the NFL.”

Zuhn, whose given name is James Zuhn III but has been called Trey since he was little, gained about 85 pounds from when he was in the eighth grade until his junior year at Fossil Ridge. It was as a sophomore in 2018 when he began working with Matt McChesney at his Six Zero Academy in suburban Denver.

McChesney is a former University of Colorado star defensive tackle and NFL offensive and defensive lineman who regularly wore No. 60 and works out players at his facility. Many have been high school players whom he helps land college scholarships.

“When he started, he would come down from Fort Collins four times a week,” said McChesney, who has continued to work with Zuhn over the past eight years. “From the way he looked back in the day to the way he looks now, it’s just crazy to see the difference. … He’s been a model client and done everything right. He’s really put himself in a very advantageous position to be an NFL vet for a long time, so he’s a pretty special kid.”

McChesney expects Zuhn’s versatility to really help him in the NFL. At Texas A&M, he primarily played left tackle, but last season, as a fifth-year senior, he also got reps at center. And he has the ability to play guard.

Zuhn did not make himself available for an interview this week. However, he spoke to reporters at the scouting combine Feb. 28 in Indianapolis about transitioning to the NFL.

“Just practicing all five positions,” said Zuhn, who impressed scouts at the combine with his athleticism, which included running the 40-yard dash in 5.03 seconds. “I’ve got a lot of reps at left tackle, and I’ve got a good amount of reps this past season at center. So, now it’s just working some guard, too. But I’m just as confident in all five positions, and I can play them at the highest level.”

Zuhn had an informal meeting with the Broncos at the combine and had at least one recent Zoom call with them. Zuhn said in February he grew up a “huge Broncos fan” and it would be “cool” to play for them.

The draft got underway Thursday night in Pittsburgh with the Broncos’ first pick scheduled to be No. 62 in the second round Friday. The Broncos are in line to have six picks Saturday, which include two in the fourth round, one in the fifth and three in the seventh.

“I’m hoping Denver picks him,” said McChesney, who spent time in the NFL from 2005-09, which included getting into four regular-season games and being on injured reserve in 2009 as a Broncos guard. “He’s super versatile and can play all three positions (on the offensive line) and I know that (head coach) Sean Payton likes that a lot. They had a good meeting with him from what he told me (about a recent Zoom call).”

Zuhn will watch the draft with his father and mother, Karen, at the family home in Fort Collins.

“He’s a little nervous about (the draft),” Zuhn Jr. said. “Of course, who wouldn’t be? But we may try to have a get-together afterward with family and friends and people who have supported him and watched his career.”

Zuhn wore No. 60 at Texas A&M as a tribute to McChesney, which the former player called “pretty special.” Soon, it will be seen if Zuhn lands with a team that has No. 60 available.

“He’s one of my favorite players in the draft,” said draft analyst Corey Chavous, a former NFL safety who is the nephew of former Denver defensive lineman Barney Chavous and who publishes Draft Nasty. “I would go see him play and he plays half a game at left tackle and half the game he’s at center, lining everybody up. Even when he’s at tackle, he’s pointing out players to line up. He’s communicating with the center. Very intelligent.”

Zuhn earned a bachelor’s degree in finance in December 2024 and played last season while taking graduate classes. He was a team captain each of the past two seasons for the Aggies.

“I flirted with the idea of coming out last season (to the NFL),” Zuhn said at the combine. “But I kept hearing about my short arms, so I had to get some reps in at center.”

At the combine, Zuhn’s arm length was measured at 33 inches and his wingspan at 80 7/8 inches, which might make him better suited in the NFL to play in the interior of the line. But there have been few questions about his athleticism or his size.