Malik Zaire to Florida is official per Bruce Feldman

Submitted by DomIngerson on
Per Bruce Feldman's Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/brucefeldman/posts/966557096780052 "Former Notre Dame QB Malik Zaire told me that he plans to arrive in Gainesville on Wednesday to get settled with his new team the Florida Gators. The left-handed grad transfer who threw six TDs and zero INTs in his career at ND is expected to battle for the UF starting job. The 6-0, 220-pound Zaire said he’s very excited about the opportunity at Florida and for the chance to face the caliber of competition he will see in the SEC. “I am going to embrace that challenge and I’m very eager to get down there," Zaire said Saturday, adding that he is considering studying journalism while at Florida. At the SEC spring meetings on Friday the league’s graduate transfer rule was amended (from a three-year ban to one-year stemming from previous transfers failing to meet academic requirements at UF.) That paved the way for Zaire to join the Gators. The Ohio native has spent much of the past five months in Arizona training with private QB coach Dennis Gile refining his mechanics with an emphasis on becoming more consistent, Zaire said. Zaire's trip to Gainesville this week will be the first time he’s ever been to UF."

Tater

June 4th, 2017 at 2:25 PM ^

I must not have  been part of the "majority of this board;" I didn't want Morris to beat out Rudock.  I was hoping Rudock would be a significant upgrade over what Harbaugh inherited.  It turns out he was...

Mr. Yost

June 4th, 2017 at 6:29 PM ^

Did I say you were the majority of the board?

 

The point was we thought we knew what Rudock was...just like we think we know what Speight is. If we can get a younger option to beat out the older player...you get that younger player for longer. It's not rocket science behind the logic or thinking.

It may not be correct...but you can see why anyone would hope for such a thing.

 

But this is about you, so continue. Pardon the interruption.

Mr. Yost

June 4th, 2017 at 9:49 AM ^

Presumably.

He was in a press box. Brady Hoke was on the field. I have a hard time believing a first year coordinator was going to tell Mr. Toughness himself what to do. If It was Harbaugh, instead of Hoke (It doesn't happen) - but no one is blaming Jedd Fisch. 

Very hard for me to blame Nussmeier for much of what happened that year. It was a shitshow from day 1 and Hoke was dead man walking as soon as ND happened. The team had turned on him, the fans turned on the entire program, no one was showing up and the ones that did booed, Fire Brandon rumors were everywhere...that was the worst year I remember as a Michigan Football fan (until Brandon was gone and Harbaugh showed up), worse than Rich Rod's first year. Okay - maybe not worse than Rich Rod's last year...never really thought about it.

But I suppose Nussmeier could've carrier pigeoned down to the headsetless Hoke and told him to take Morris out of the game. That's his fault and he'll have to live with it for the rest of his life.

Mr. Yost

June 4th, 2017 at 6:38 PM ^

I hear you...I'm not up here acting like he got a raw deal.

I'm just saying, it's way to easy to rag on him and his performance and not take everything else into account.

The offense was terrible, but look what he had to work with. NFL talent? Winning culture? Above average or better head coach?

Make Doug Nussmeier OC on this Michigan team and I think he's a decent level OC. Make Brady Hoke the HC on this Michigan team and I think he's still in over his head.

Toss in the stuff that happened before Doug every set foot on campus, the Dave Brandon stuff, the previous years of Rich Rod? I'm sorry, but you put Drevno in that exact same situation and the outcome is not going to be that much different.

Do I think Nuss deserves blame? Sure. He was part of the team. But I think he gets waaay to much of it on this board and he's an easy target.

HarbaughsLeftElbow

June 4th, 2017 at 11:25 AM ^

He was pretty bad. Borges-coached Gardner was significantly better. Nussmeier reportedly was constantly pushing to start Shane Morris over Gardner. 

Nussmeier was fired from Alabama despite the team's success (even though Michigan tried to market it as a coup to get him). His offense at Michigan was horrific. His offenses at Florida have been awful. 

I see no reason to believe he should be the OC at a school the caliber of Florida (or Michigan) other than that he is a long time McElwain associate. 

jared32696

June 4th, 2017 at 11:42 AM ^

I ll say this first, i love devin gardner. But this is coming straight from a person close to Nussmeier is that Devin struggled all season to learn the playbook. Doug had to oversimplify the book just so they could run any plays.

Jasper

June 4th, 2017 at 1:00 PM ^

We have a winner.

- - -

Remember how bad the '13 offensive line was even with *three* future NFL players? (Maybe make it 2 1/2, as Glasgow was still young.)

Did anyone notice how mediocre last year's 5th-year seniors were? (Sorry to say this about nice people and Michigan Men ...) Subtract three years of experience and growth. You'll see part of why 2013 was so rough.

HarbaughsLeftElbow

June 4th, 2017 at 1:17 PM ^

Really bad like Michigan's but that hasn't stopped Nussmeier leaning on the run game at either stop. Michigan had 3 NFL WRs and a returning senior QB who produced nearly 3500 yards of offense the previous year. They struggled to score against pretty much every non-Appalachian State team despite often getting great field position from the defense. 

Nussmeier reportedly wanted to play Shane Morris over Devin Gardner despite the OL weakness. 

Alabama's was pretty strong and his playcalling was not up to Saban's standard. 

 

DMack

June 4th, 2017 at 2:58 PM ^

If they had designed plays for Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner to play at the same time, those teams would have done better because the offense wouldn't have stalled so much. I hate what it did for those two and their careers but I'm soooo glad we have our coach.

Mr. Yost

June 4th, 2017 at 9:48 AM ^

Agreed. Rudock situation...he could be good, but week 1 - he's still trying to build a chemistry.

I remember watching the Utah game, I think I watched Rudock more than anything else in that game not named Peppers. I could see he had it, but everything was off - especially the timing.

That Florida game was the anti-Utah game.

Let's hope we get ZaIIIIIre, and someone else has to deal with Zaire in the bowl game.

JoeFink

June 4th, 2017 at 9:39 AM ^

I actually think this could help Michigan. Zaire will get his share of practice reps with Florida's first team, yet he has little chance to come in, learn and get comfortable with the offense, and be sharp in game 1.

EGD

June 4th, 2017 at 10:19 AM ^

He is "considering studying journalism." Ha. These grad transfers aren't even keeping up appearances anymore with the whole "but my undergraduate insitution doesn't offer my program" thing.