GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- As GatorBait.net reported earlier this month, Florida is interested in adding Notre Dame graduate transfer Malik Zaire to its quarterback battle, but first it needs the SEC to overturn or adjust a rule restricting the Gators from taking a graduate transfer.

On the Dooley and Collett radio show in Gainesville on Friday, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey indicated the league will discuss and likely alter that rule at its spring meetings in late May.

"It will come up," Sankey said.

"I do think we need to look where we've been restrictive in the past because of the absence of national rules and look at reducing some of those restrictions. I'm one who would position it as interest in freeing things up without just removing every restraint, because I think the restraints have been healthy for us."

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Current SEC rules prevent schools that have taken graduate transfers who then failed to meet academic requirements at their transfer destination from taking any new graduate transfers for a three-year period. Florida is in that boat, after Mason Halter and Anthony Harrell failed to meet the league's academic benchmarks after transferring in for the 2015 season.

But should the league overturn or alter that rule, the Gators would be very interested in taking Zaire, who has yet to announce a transfer destination.

Sankey explained to Dooley that the reason the rule was put in was to set an example for the rest of collegiate athletics.

"That's one of the disappointments I have at the national level, that the NCAA has not taken a harder look (at graduate transfers)," Sankey said. "There's this notion that they've graduated, so let them just have freedom. I don't necessarily argue with that, but there's nothing in the context of intercollegiate athletics that says 'oh just go play games.' We never say that."

However, Sankey believes the league has made significant progress and that schools have adopted the end-goal: that graduate transfers not just be about athletics.

"I look at it now and say that we've adjusted to realities, and we likely can pull back on some of those internal policies," he said. "Probably not all and probably not just walk completely away. ... I don't want us to just walk away. I do think it's a good conversation to adjust because we are performing, and we can pull back some of the restraint."

Should the league vote to remove the restriction on graduate transfers -- or, say, shorten the penalty period to just one year -- it could allow Florida to take Zaire's transfer.

Confidence has remained high in the Florida camp that will happen and it's just a matter of time. Sankey's comments Friday seem to jive with that sentiment.

Zaire would immediately jump into the battle for the starting quarterback competition at Florida. He has played in 17 games in his career, going 58-98 (59.2%) passing for 816 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. He has also rushed for 324 yards and two touchdowns on 72 carries.

He was named the MVP of the Music City Bowl in 2014 in a win over LSU, his first career start. He opened the 2015 season as the starter but suffered a broken ankle in the second game and eventually lost his starting job to DeShone Kizer before opting to transfer last fall.

At Florida this spring, redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks emerged with the lead for the starting job, but coach Jim McElwain seemed to leave open the possibility of an addition following the spring game.

He was asked about the importance of developing a young quarterback, and this was his response.

"Being able to develop a guy is something that we've been fortunate to do a lot of stops along the way," McElwain said. "And yet at the same time, we've got go with who's going to give us the best opportunity to win ball games."

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Contact Thomas Goldkamp by 247Sports' personal messaging system or on Twitter at @ThomasGoldkamp.