Cal Poly grad is new ‘Bachelor’ star. Here’s the scoop on Zach Shallcross
America’s most eligible bachelor Zachary Shallcross, 25, has San Luis Obispo roots.
Shallcross, who was announced as the new lead in ABC’s 2023 season of “The Bachelor” last night, is a Cal Poly alum who played football for the Mustangs while attending the university.
Shallcross stepped into the role after sending himself home in Mexico following an awkward Fantasy Suite date with bachelorette Rachel Recchia, 26, where Shallcross felt he wasn’t seeing “the real Rachel.”
“It was like we were two strangers,” Shallcross said in an earlier episode.
Shallcross told ABC dating show host Jesse Palmer that he spent a lot of time with his family and working out at the gym as he mended his broken heart.
“I’m now more ready. That’s almost fuel to the fire, you know. I’m ready to find my person, my best friend, and that break-up didn’t deter it,” Shallcross told Palmer on Tuesday’s show.
What we know about ‘Bachelor’ and Cal Poly grad Zach Shallcross
Shallcross works as a senior cloud technology sales executive for Oracle, splitting time between Texas and his hometown of Anaheim Hills, according to his LinkedIn biography.
According to his official cast biography, Shallcross is a charismatic man with a “huge heart” who “loves his mama, his dogs and football.”
“Zach’s perfect woman is compassionate, kind and ready for romance because Zach is excited to lay it on thick,” the cast biography reads. “Zach is serious about finding a love that will lead to marriage, so whatever grand romantic gesture it takes for him to get there, he’s ready to go!”
Shallcross graduated from Cal Poly with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, his LinkedIn profile shows.
While attending the university from 2014-2019, Shallcross, who stands 6 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 280 pounds, played football for the Mustangs for five seasons. He played right tackle during his final season, according to Cal Poly’s football roster.
He also worked as a security supervisor at the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles, according to LinkedIn.
ABC’s “The Bachelor” will return with Shallcross’ journey to find love at 8 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2023.
This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 9:50 AM.
