North Carolina wasn’t the odds-on favorite to land Malik Zaire when the former Notre Dame quarterback decided to bolt for a graduate transfer. The Tar Heels might be now.

Irish Illustrated has learned Zaire will visit North Carolina and Wisconsin this week, likely checking out the Badgers on Wednesday and the Tar Heels on Friday.

While Wisconsin has been a potential destination from the start, contact with the Big 10 West champs picked up during the past 48 hours. North Carolina has been a steady presence since Zaire’s release last week after a meeting with Brian Kelly. That release included no restrictions, which is why Zaire can look toward Chapel Hill without any obstacles despite Notre Dame’s date at North Carolina on Oct. 7 next season.

Florida, a program of interest to Zaire initially, is out of the running due to the school going on probation with graduate transfers. SEC rules state graduate transfers must meet certain academic criteria to keep the program in good graces, which it appears previous graduate transfers into Florida did not.

Pittsburgh and Michigan State are also of interest, with the Panthers a more likely match than the Spartans.

A source told Irish Illustrated that Auburn expressed some initial interest, but Zaire’s desire to get away from a run-first spread offense is likely to kill off that courtship before it starts.

While North Carolina might not make much sense geographically, the Tar Heels’ quarterback recruiting situation does. North Carolina is likely to lose starter Mitch Trubisky to the NFL Draft, a player who beat out Zaire for Mr. Football in Ohio as a high school senior.

Zaire and Trubisky know each other well enough to have discussed the North Carolina program. Irish Illustrated has learned the Tar Heels staff has also made an early pitch.

Zaire has also expressed some interest in playing for a warmer weather school, which would favor North Carolina over Pittsburgh, Wisconsin and Michigan State.

The former four-star recruit from Kettering, Ohio finished his Irish career with three starts (wins over LSU, Texas and Virginia) while completing 58-of-98 passes for 816 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s also rushed 72 times for 324 yards and two scores.