Question about recommendations from a contact

So I recently applied to a pretty entry level internship through my school's career site (the firm posted a listing for this position on my school's site). I haven't heard back yet so I'm assuming they are still looking / haven't looked at my resume/coverletter yet.

Should I ask my friend (who did a good job interning at this firm in the past; he doesn't intern or work there any more) to send them an email with a recommendation?

Would this be too out of the blue / looked down on in any way? Or would it help me stand out a little bit for a better chance to interview?

Any feedback is appreciated! Thanks