With the Dallas Cowboys wrapping up the 2026 NFL Draft, it's now time for their rookie minicamp. This year, one of their invitations stood out. In 1995, Barry Switzer took the Dallas Cowboys to the Super Bowl, and they won. Now, Dallas will be opening their doors for his grandson during the camp.

Barry's grandson, Zach Switzer, played three seasons as the running back at Presbyterian Blue Hose. It's now time for him to play in the NFL, and the Cowboys made it possible.

"Dallas Cowboys have invited Presbyterian college running back Zach Switzer to participate in rookie minicamp on a tryout basis," reported KPRC 2 Houston analyst Aaron Wilson on April 26, 2026.

Zach comes from Presbyterian, a small liberal arts college in Clinton, S.C., part of the FCS division. Before that, he played two seasons at Memphis.

The invite gives Zach a direct chance to show that he can play at the NFL level with the team that his grandfather once led to a title.

The 5'11", 195-pound running back ran for 1,330 yards and scored 12 touchdowns in three seasons at Presbyterian. He made an impact in the receiving game as well, posting 64 receptions for 666 yards and six touchdowns.

It has been more than two decades since Barry left Dallas. He held the head coaching seat from 1994 to 1997. They went 40-24 in the regular season and 5-2 in the playoffs, winning Super Bowl XXX against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

He has the highest winning percentage of any Cowboys head coach and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001. Decades later, his grandson joins Dallas practices so coaches can evaluate him.

Dallas helped open the door for one Cowboys legend’s grandson, but another legacy connection completely slipped through their hands. 

Dallas Cowboys Missed Signing Emmitt Smith's Son

The Dallas Cowboys finished their 2026 draft class with Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence, and Jaishawn Barham.

However, one missed opportunity stood out after the draft. E.J. Smith, son of Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith, went undrafted and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. 

In 1995, Emmitt Smith surpassed two of Tony Dorsett’s rushing records, including setting a new single-season mark of 1,773 yards after breaking the previous 1,646-yard record.

"You know me, man, I'm family. I'm all family. And you watch his film, and he was an incredible short-yardage runner, powerful. But, yeah, just watching him move, seeing him in person, the type of young man he is, it's cool," Schottenheimer said on ESPN, when asked about E.J. Smith's evaluation. 

The running back finished his final season at Texas A&M with only 205 rushing yards on 44 attempts. While the Cowboys passed on signing him, Smith ultimately joined the Kansas City Chiefs. It's time to see how things fall into place with their last Championship-winning head coach's grandson.

Share your thoughts on Dallas' chances to sign Zach Switzer.

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Written by

Abhay Bharti

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar