Jaden Rashada, a former ESPN 300 quarterback recruit, sued the University of Florida and coach Billy Napier on Tuesday. Rashada claims he was scammed out of millions of dollars in name, image and image money.
The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that Napier promised the player's father a $1 million “partial payment” upon signing. Rashada never received the money and the boosters never fulfilled the deal, the lawsuit says.
It is the latest incident in a long history involving the player and the school. Now Rashada is the first known college athlete to sue his coach or a sponsor over a dispute over an NIL deal.
What's next for Rashada and Florida? Our reporters break it down.
How did we get here?
Rashada was ranked 31st overall in the 2023 class and had a prep career that included multiple transfers. He played his freshman high school season at Liberty High School (Brentwood, California). He then transferred to IMG Academy in Florida before returning to California to play three seasons at Pittsburg High School (Pittsburg, California). His college decision was based on two schools in Florida and two big zero numbers.
Rashada committed to the Miami Hurricanes in June 2022. The lawsuit states that Rashada had a $9.5 million NIL commitment with the Canes. But Rashada withdrew his commitment in November of this year and immediately moved to the Florida Gators and Coach Napier. He signed his national letter of intent during the signing period in December. However, he did not enroll in Florida, and his arrival in Gainesville was contingent on a four-year, $13.85 million name, image and likeness contract. When the contract fell through, Rashada asked for a release from his letter of intent.
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The Gator Collective, an independent fundraising organization that distributed money to UF athletes at the time, was responsible for the deal. However, financial support did not materialize and the Gator Collective terminated the contract. Rashada was released from his letter of intent. He then attended Arizona State and committed to play for the Sun Devils, arriving on campus in July 2023.
Rashada started the first two games of the season for Arizona State, but an injury kept him out for most of the season. In three games, he was 44 of 82 for 485 yards, with four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Rashada entered the transfer portal on April 18 and is now moving to Georgia, where he has four years of eligibility remaining. – Tom VanHaaren
What's next for Rashada?
Shortly after Rashada entered the portal, Georgia emerged as a likely transfer destination for Rashada. He picked the Bulldogs on April 25 and captioned his Instagram announcement, “Compete with the BEST.” Instead of vying for the starting job at ASU with rising Michigan State transfer Sam Leavitt, Rashada is put in a situation where he will play behind Georgia's Carson Beck, a top Heisman Trophy contender and NFL hopeful.
Unless Beck is injured, Rashada will use the 2024 season for development purposes while also taking over a different offense under coordinator Mike Bobo in Athens.
A realistic goal would be to always be in the hunt for national titles as a Georgian team in 2025. He would have to face off against primary challenger Gunner Stockton, who is entering his third season with the Georgia program and gained valuable experience this spring. Both Stockton and incoming freshman Ryan Puglisi were ranked among ESPN's top 110 recruits in their respective classes. Georgia coach Kirby Smart wants to have four scholarship quarterbacks on his roster at any time, and the team has a 2025 commitment from ESPN 300 recruit Ryan Montgomery.
Rashada is the most decorated quarterback of the group, but he will have to adapt quickly, especially with Stockton ahead on the learning curve. – Adam Rittenberg
How did this affect Florida on the field?
The Gators signed Rashada in December 2022 with the expectation that he would compete for the starting spot with veteran Graham Mertz, who transferred from Wisconsin. Without him, the job went to Mertz, who threw for 2,903 yards last season, completing 73 percent of his passes and throwing 20 touchdown passes with three interceptions. Losing Rashada didn't help Napier from a PR perspective, as he drew the ire of the Florida fan base – especially after a 5-7 record heading into 2023.
DJ Lagway is the top QB prospect in the 2024 recruiting class. Underclassmen report
Florida had a plan for its future, however, as Napier was long committed to DJ Lagway, the highest-rated quarterback in the class of 2024. Lagway committed to Florida just weeks before Rashada signed his letter of intent, and the Gators were also in a massive battle to keep Lagway while other schools pursued him as signing day approached last December. Lagway said Clemson, USC and Texas A&M all made late pushes, but he ultimately signed with the Gators and enrolled early while going through spring football.
His decision to come to Florida was significant for Napier, as he hasn't yet found a solid footing for the third grade and desperately needed Lagway's commitment. Mertz is back for another season and is expected to be in the starting lineup. But there is a lot at stake this season, especially for Florida and Napier. With the season opener against rival Miami, Florida fans want to see immediate progress and results. If Mertz struggles, don't be surprised if the fans call for Lagway. –Andrea Adelson
Could Rashada's claims for the Gators have any consequences for the NCAA?
The NCAA alerted Florida nearly a year ago that it was investigating claims that the football program was violating recruiting rules, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press. ESPN's Mark Schlabach confirmed that the investigation is related to Rashada's recruitment.
Rashada claims in his lawsuit that Napier directly promised Rashada a $1 million payment from a booster if he signed with Florida, which would be a violation of NCAA policy. The NCAA punished Florida State and suspended one of its coaches in January for engaging in NIL offers to a prospect.
However, the NCAA sent a letter to its schools in late February saying it was pausing all open enforcement cases “involving third parties' involvement in NIL-related activities” after a federal judge in Tennessee issued a preliminary injunction , which prohibited the NCAA from enforcing some of its rules. This lawsuit was filed by the Tennessee Attorney General after the NCAA opened an investigation into the Vols' recruiting tactics.
Any other high-profile enforcement actions by the NCAA — such as a penalty for Napier or the Gators — could lead to further lawsuits while the association continues to face antitrust scrutiny, making it unlikely that any NCAA penalties could come anytime soon. — Dan Murphy
