After weeks stretching into months of the transfer saga surrounding former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire, the ex-Fighting Irish signal-caller finally has a landing spot and it was the one many expected all along: Florida.
The graduate transfer confirmed the news on Saturday evening while speaking to Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman at the annual Elite 11 quarterback competition in Southern California. Zaire is serving as a counselor at the event he once attendant.
Spoke to Malik Zaire. He told me he expects to head to #UF on Wednesday & said he's very excited about the opportunity to play in the SEC.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) June 4, 2017
Let's go!!!!!!!!!!
— Malik Zaire (@MalikZaire8) June 2, 2017
The lefty played in 15 games over three seasons in South Bend but was eventually supplanted as the starter by now Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshone Kizer. Zaire threw for 816 yards and six touchdowns all told while also rushing for two scores.
The upcoming move to Gainesville, though expected, only became possible after the SEC relaxed its graduate transfer rules at the league’s recent spring meetings -- paving the way for Zaire to head to the Gators. He is expected to compete for the starter position with the team alongside last year’s No. 1 Luke Del Rio and what appears to be the future under center in redshirt freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask. The latter two have not seen action at the college level while Del Rio was ineffective at times last season and went through two shoulder surgeries in the last several months, putting extra emphasis on the team landing Zaire to shore up the quarterback room for 2017.