Florida Gators RB Lorenzo Lingard Receives Immediate Eligibility
The Florida Gators received good news on Friday evening when running back Lorenzo Lingard was deemed immediately eligible to play in 2020 after transferring from Miami in January. UF has confirmed Lingard's clearance with Sports Illustrated - AllGators.
Lingard, a rising redshirt sophomore and Orange City (Fla.) native, spent two seasons with the Hurricanes and flashed promise as a true freshman, rushing for 136 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries in six appearances. Though, his freshman season came to a halt early on when Lingard suffered a season-ending leg injury.
The 6-0, 200 lb. speedster saw action in two games in 2019 on special teams, but redshirted the year in order to continue rehabbing and progressing from his injury before transferring to Florida. Coming out of high school, Lingard reportedly clocked a tremendous 4.27-second 40-yard dash, while also posting a 10.71-second 100-meter dash.
The former five-star prospect was considered the No. 2 running back in the class of 2018 by the 247Sports Composite rankings. Lingard has acknowledged in the past that he wanted to play closer to home amidst his father's struggling health as reasons for his intention to transfer.
As the Gators have struggled to recruit the running back position as of late and find themselves in need of improvement in the current run game, the NCAA's decision to clear Lingard couldn't have come at a better time. Florida is expected to start junior running back Dameon Pierce in 2020, but as long as Lingard is back to full health, he will undoubtedly find a role within the offense.
