GAINESVILLE, Fla. –
Malik Zaire has been a lot of things to a lot of people in 2017.
He was a highly sought-after veteran quarterback at the center of a little-known Southeastern Conference transfer rule. Fans of Zaire's potential destination schools viewed him as the next big thing. Others wondered what the fuss was all about. Tim Tebow, the last Gators quarterback to gain universal acceptance among UF's fan base and media, declared him the favorite to start for Florida this season.
Florida head coach
Jim McElwain, due to NCAA rules unable to speak publicly about Zaire until the fifth-year graduate student from Notre Dame enrolled at UF on June 26, offered mostly diplomatic responses at SEC Football Media Days last month with his third preseason quarterback battle in three seasons looming. No promises to anyone. Let the competition begin.
Meanwhile, Zaire remained in the shadows during the public debate over where he would play his final season of college football. Since announcing he was coming to Florida, adding a veteran voice and new life into a quarterback room that already has
Luke Del Rio,
Feleipe Franks,
Kyle Trask and true freshmen
Jake Allen and
Kadarius Toney, Zaire's primary focus has been straight to the point.
"The first thing I wanted to do was to get the respect of the guys,'' Zaire said. "It already feels I'm at home with my brothers. I know if we're together, if we're close, we can do a lot of things in a positive way. That's winning for us."
Zaire clearly seemed comfortable recently during the Florida football team's preseason photo shoot at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. He moved confidently around the room interacting with his new teammates. He turned heads when he broke into an impressive rendition of Boyz II Men's classic chart-topper "End of the Road," during a video shoot. He rarely stood still, showing off the non-stop energy and charismatic personality he is known to possess.
"He was accepted to graduate school at Harvard and the president of Notre Dame wrote a letter of recommendation," McElwain said. "That speaks to the kind of person he is. Obviously with Z coming in, that changed the room a little bit. It's a great problem to have."
Zaire enters the start of preseason camp Thursday in the running to be Florida's starting quarterback, as do Franks, on top of the depth chart at the end of spring practice, and Del Rio, who started six games a season ago before injuries sidelined him.
His decision to come to Florida instead of Texas and other interested programs hinged primarily on what he saw on film studying Florida's offense -- and his memory. He grew up in Kettering, Ohio, a fan of fellow left-hander Tebow and those national title teams in 2006 and 2008.
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When he studied the Gators' offense while contemplating his future, he imagined himself taking the snaps and directing the kind of attack that would make "The Swamp" erupt.
"I don't think anything is more beautiful than an offense running in a very smooth, poetic way, scoring a lot of points,'' Zaire said. "Watching film of the schools I had the potential to go to, this is almost like stealing with the talent you have around you.
"We're so good we feel like we're like the entertainment. When people come to see us, they're paying to come see the offense play. For us offensive guys, we hold that close. We want to be the best in the country. I know this team has been known for defense, but the number of talented guys we have on the offensive side of the ball and the potential we have as an offense, I think is going to be very, very effective and dangerous. When we put it together, it's going to be unstoppable."
Zaire's enthusiasm and confidence in the Gators' offensive talent will undoubtedly sound like poetry to Florida fans. Still, it's wise to proceed with caution since between now and Sept. 2, when the Gators open the season against Michigan, the real competition will take place on the field.
The 6-foot, 225-pound Zaire's strength is his experience and versatility. He is a talented runner and started the first two games of the 2015 season – Zaire was 19 of 22 for 313 yards and three touchdowns in a season-opening win over Texas – until a broken ankle spoiled the potential of a breakout season.
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Zaire spent four seasons at Notre Dame but threw only 98 passes. His career highlight came when he was named MVP of the Music City Bowl after the 2014 season.
He joins the Gators with a renewed sense of urgency.
"My mindset going in is that we want to be the best offense in the country,'' Zaire said. "Who doesn't want to be a Florida Gator quarterback. I think the last time a lefty did it here down here, things worked out pretty well. Most importantly, I'm treating this is if this is my rookie year in the NFL.
"I'm in a whole new environment, I'm around all new guys and the level of competition is raised. I didn't want to run from the competition at all. I wanted to take it head on."
Perhaps as much as anything, that is why McElwain opened the doors for Zaire.
"If you're afraid of competition, you turn and run the other way,'' McElwain said.
Zaire has no fear of the battle ahead. He has spent the past month as one of the leaders at the team's player-only workouts.
That was his plan. He already has a vision for the season, too. One that began to take root as he poured over Florida's game in the spring and early summer to see how he would fit in.
"I knew coming here the potential was here to do what I couldn't do at Notre Dame,'' he said. "I don't have to do much. I've just got to get the ball to them. Being a distributor and running the show is something I wanted to be in the spotlight for. I know I can do it.
"I have personal goals of my own, but keeping that team mindset and the hard work ethic and the passion and energy that I try to bring every day because I love the game so much, I know that's going to influence the team positively."
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