Former Notre Dame star quarterback, Malik Zaire, has made a final decision on where the graduate transfer will most likely spend his final year of eligibility and plans to announce it early next week, according to a report from Irishillustrated.com
That decision is between two finalists: the University of Wisconsin and the University of North Carolina, according to 247Sports’ Tom Loy. Zaire visited the Badgers in Madison last Wednesday before heading to Chapel Hill that Friday.
The update in the former four-star recruit’s search came in an interview between Irishillustrated.com’s Pete Sampson and Zaire’s father, Imani Zaire.
“He likes them both,” Imani said. “He’s made a decision, but he’s not willing to share it until Monday or Tuesday next week.”
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Though many initially believed North Carolina was the front-runner for Zaire’s impending choice, Loy believes the Badgers are instead now the more likely candidate.
“I’ve been digging into this and from what I can gather, people connected with Wisconsin’s program are much more confident than North Carolina at this point,” Loy wrote.
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After Zaire was officially released from Notre Dame University’s football team Nov. 30, he named the University of Florida, University of Pittsburgh, Michigan State University and Wisconsin as his “primary contenders” for next season.
Due to his impending status as a graduate transfer, Zaire will not be ruled ineligible for the upcoming season as opposed to the policy that bars undergraduate transfers from playing for a single season.
As a senior in high school, Zaire showed legitimate interest in coming to play for the Badgers after developing a personal relationship with then-offensive coordinator Paul Chryst.
With the kind of explosive offense Chryst orchestrated with Russell Wilson — another graduate transfer — at the helm in 2011, Zaire and the Badger defense could take Wisconsin to the next level in 2017.
