ORLANDO, Fla. — Zain Muhammad is taking the football world by storm.
“Currently he is the number one quarterback in the class of 2030,” quarterback coach Baylin Trujillo said.
Zain just turned eight years old, but he already has custom shoes, with his custom logo, and his own nickname: “Hollywood.”
The quarterback phenom is a 19-time flag football champion, including three world championships in three different divisions.
“Since I was five, I just started throwing the ball and shakin’ and bakin’ and all that stuff,” Zain said.
His dad took notice of his son’s ability even earlier.
“When he was six months old, he threw his bottle across the room,” Wali Muhammad said. “It had somewhat of a spiral and I kind of got a twinkle in my eye. You know what, that’s my guy.”
The family lives in Austin, Texas, but the father-son duo travels the country for flag football tournaments and quarterback camps. Recently working with Trujillo, a one-time University of South Florida quarterback.
“If you watch his highlights, he is a YouTube sensation, his Instagram has over 27,000 followers, it’s because of his athletic ability to run the football.”
Zain’s love of the game is the reason he wants to train nearly every day.
“He always wants to train, get better,” Wali said. “Never taking days off. I mean, the first day of spring break, we’re not a Disney, or anywhere else we’re here training.”
He models his game after the league's greats, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, and even Tom Brady.
“I take away from him what his throwing ability is,” Zain said. “I like how he does his reads and sees the opening.”
“The top half of Patrick and the bottom half of Lamar,” Wali added. “He’s lethal on his legs, too, and can throw the ball on the run, finding targets and keeping his eyes downfield.”
