Malik Zaire is trading in his Fighting Irish gold for Florida Gators Orange and Blue, according to Bruce Feldman.
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
Zaire is currently serving as a counselor at the Elite 11 but will head to Gainesville this week. The University of Florida officially begins their “Summer B” classes on June 26.
Zaire received a release from his scholarship at Notre Dame back in November. The left-hander threw for 816 yard and six touchdowns during his time in South Bend but was beat out for the starting job by DeShone Kizer. Zaire has long been rumored to be interested in Florida, who hasn’t had a reliable option at quarterback since 2010, but couldn’t transfer due to a SEC rule that was preventing the Gators from accepting a graduate transfer.
At the SEC spring meetings in Destin this week the rule was changed from a three-year ban to one-year, opening the door for Zaire to join the Gators. Zaire will step right into a quarterback room and competition for the starting job.