Former Aquinas QB Allen enrolls at UF, joins team

The Florida Gators future at quarterback may have arrived on Monday.

Jake Allen, a former standout at Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, enrolled for UF’s Summer A session. He immediately will join the mix at quarterback during play-run practices and begin to learn coach Jim McElwain’s offense.

Allen will be more involved than many newcomers at his position. McElwain said redshirt freshman Kyle Trask remains “tender” following recent knee surgery, even though he has been medically cleared. Redshirt junior Luke Del Rio, who began 2016 as the starter before injuries sidelined him, continues to recover from shoulder surgery.

“That will force Jake to probably get in and do some things with those guys on their own a whole lot earlier,” McElwain said Tuesday prior to Gator Gathering in Gainesville.

Feleipe Franks ended spring practices the frontrunner for the starting job.

Allen, a three-star recruit, is not expected to be a factor next season, but he arrives with an impressive track record and the QB picture remains murky.

Allen closed his career with five-touchdown performance and a second Class 7A state championship victory. During his final two seasons at St. Thomas Aquinas, he threw 45 touchdowns and just 15 interceptions.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame graduate transfer Malik Zaire remains on the Gators’ radar. But UF will need the SEC to relax its rules for him to be eligible to sign.

The Gators currently are restricted from taking Zaire because former graduate transfers Mason Halter and Anthony Harrell failed to meet SEC academic benchmarks two years ago. The rule will be discussed in two weeks in Destin during the league’s spring meetings.

McElwain cannot discuss Zaire specifically, but said the Gators can use another quarterback in the room.

“We’re still short from our number that we want on scholarship, anyway,” McElwain said. “We’ve definitely got room at that position.”

But other than first-year freshman Zadarius Toney, Zaire plays a different style the other UF quarterbacks. Franks, Trask, Del Rio and Allen are pocket passers, while Zaire is a pass-run threat.

Moore joins, too

Offensive lineman T.J. Moore of Charlotte, N.C., also enrolled during UF’s Summer A session.

Moore and Allen joined the team for offseason conditioning Tuesday. Seven of the 23 members of the 2017 class, including five early enrollees, are now with the Gators.

McElwain would like to have more of his freshmen at UF.

McElwain said: “Shoot, the majority of them are still in school. So, not getting them until late I think hinders a little bit for us.”

Allen