During coach Dan Mullen’s short time in Gainesville, he has made strong use of the NCAA transfer portal.
This offseason, he added running back Lorenzo Lingard, offensive linemen Stewart Reese and wide receivers Justin Shorter and Jordan Pouncey.
On Friday afternoon, the Gators received positive news from the NCAA.
Lingard announced on his Twitter account that his waiver to play this season was approved.
He transferred to UF this January after spending two years at the University of Miami.
Coming out of high school, Lingard was a five-star running back and the second-best at his position, according to 247Sports.
His freshman season he played in six games before he suffered a leg injury, racking up 136 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries before he suffered a season-ending leg injury.
In 2019, he only played in two games.
Lingard provides depth for Florida’s running back room, where the Gators have to replace their leading rusher Lamical Perine, who graduated in December.
The 6-foot, 200 lb. will compete with fellow tailbacks junior Dameon Pierce and redshirt junior Malik Davis for the bulk of the carries this fall.
UF is also waiting on the NCAA to see if former Penn State and Texas wideouts Shorter and Pouncey will be cleared to play this season.
Follow Zachary on Twitter @zacharyahuber and contact him at zhuber@alligator.org.
