Tag: Jaden Rashada

Is Billy Napier in trouble? The Athletic takes a look at Florida’s head coach

We should all be rooting for Billy Napier to exceed expectations next season.

It has been a tumultuous tenure as Florida football’s head coach for Billy Napier, who has presided over two of the three straight sub-.500 seasons the program has posted. With bad decisions coming both on and off the field, the Gators are still struggling to climb out of mediocrity.

The recent news of former quarterback commit [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag]’s lawsuit against [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and two other defendants has taken the wind out of a strong transfer portal season that saw the Orange and Blue finish among the top five schools. Add that dark cloud to Florida’s five-game losing streak to end the 2023 season — missing a bowl berth in the process — and things are stacking up against the third-year skipper.

The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel answered a question in his latest mailbag column whether Napier will be able to rebound from the latest black eye inflicted on the program.

“It’s often hard for me to gauge how a fan base truly feels about its coach because the disgruntled ones are always the loudest. But it does feel like the heat is on Napier after the Gators started 5-2 then lost five straight games to end last season,” Mandel begins.

“As for the Rashada NIL debacle, Napier certainly doesn’t come off well in the lawsuit filed Tuesday. There are few remaining NCAA rules surrounding NIL, but a head coach allegedly promising a kid $1 million to sign is still a no-no.”

Of course, everyone knows that winning cures all ills, which is what Napier has struggled to do.

“It’s more fuel for Napier’s critics, but let’s be honest. If Napier were coming off a 10-win season, Florida fans would be playing all the same cards as Michigan fans last season — there’s no proof he said that, everybody else is doing the same thing, go investigate Mike Norvell, blah, blah, blah. But he’s coming off 5-7, after a 6-7 debut season, so I don’t see a lot of rallying around the coach.”

Florida faces one of the toughest schedules in the nation this fall, which now includes the newly added Texas Longhorns on the SEC slate. Expectations must be tempered and the administration cannot be hasty in jettisoning its head coach.

“It would also be very expensive to fire Napier after just three seasons — his buyout is $25.7 million,” Mandel continues. “Ironically, Florida may have lost the ability to fire him for cause, with the NCAA backing off its investigation into Rashada’s recruitment following February’s preliminary injunction in Tennessee prohibiting the NCAA from enforcing its rules around NIL and boosters.”

But again, it really all comes down to winning.

“If I’m Florida, I’m rooting like heck for Napier to wildly exceed expectations this season, if for no other reason than to break the school’s endless cycle of hiring and firing coaches,” Mandel concludes.

“Napier is Florida’s fourth head coach since [autotag]Urban Meyer[/autotag]’s exit after the 2010 season, following Will Muschamp (2011-14), [autotag]Jim McElwain[/autotag] (2015-17) and [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] (2018-21). Were the Gators to hire yet another coach in 2025, it would mark four straight who lasted four years or less. That’s not a winning formula.”

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Kirby Smart reportedly ‘gave his blessing’ for Jaden Rashada to file lawsuit

Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart ‘gave his blessing’ for Jaden Rashada’s lawsuit against Florida coach Billy Napier, others

John Talty of CBS Sports reports Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart approved of Jaden Rashada’s lawsuit against Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier and others.

“Rashada informed Georgia coach Kirby Smart of his intention to file the lawsuit, according to sources, and Smart gave his blessing,” said Talty. It makes sense Rashada disclosed the matter to Smart because the issue could end up becoming a distraction for Georgia this fall.

Rashada is suing Billy Napier along with Florida booster Hugh Hathcock (and his automotive company) and former Gators staff member Marcus Castro-Walker over a failed name, image and likeness licensing deal that would have paid Rashada $13.85 million. Rashada initially signed with Florida, but was released from his national letter of intent.

Rashada ended up signing with Arizona State. He played for the Sun Devils as a true freshman. Rashada transferred to Georgia this spring to help fortify the Bulldogs’ depth chart at quarterback. Now, he is suing the head coach of Georgia’s top rival in the SEC.

“Hathcock (on behalf of himself and Velocity Automotive), Castro-Walker and Coach Napier orchestrated and executed a fraud upon Jaden and were substantially and knowingly assisted by one another in carrying out the fraud,” Rashada’s lawsuit notes. “Each of their individual schemes would not have succeeded without assistance from one another.”

“We do not comment on ongoing litigation,” said UAA spokesperson Steve McClain in response to the lawsuit.

Georgia is scheduled to play Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Georgia quarterback Jaden Rashada sues Billy Napier over failed $14M NIL deal

Former Florida commit Jaden Rashada is suing Billy Napier and others for failing to make NIL payments on a $14M deal.

Former Florida Gators recruit and current Georgia quarterback Jaden Rashada is suing coach Billy Napier and others, claiming they backed out of a nearly $14 million NIL agreement according to a lawsuit obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

Rashada says in the lawsuit he committed to Florida after turning down offers from other schools in part because Napier promised a $1M partial payment to Rashada’s father shortly before he signed his NLI to attend Florida.

The suit claims this payment was never received, with Rashada alleging seven different counts of fraud – including negligent misrepresentations, tortious interference, aiding and abetting tortious interference, and vicarious liability.

Napier is a defendant along with Florida booster Hugh Hathcock and Marcus Castro-Walker, the former Florida NIL director, who are both accused of interfering with Rashada’s previous commitment to Miami which involved a $9.5 million NIL contract with booster John Ruiz.

The suit claims Florida used “deceitful” promises to flip his commitment from Miami to Florida in order to sign a $13.85 million NIL deal with the Gator Collective.

Rashada eventually ended up at Arizona State, throwing for 485 yards and four touchdowns before transferring to Georgia.

His lawsuit will be watched closely by the college sports community as NIL continues to go unmonitored by the NCAA, creating a landscape described in the lawsuit as the “Wild West.”

Former top QB recruit Jaden Rashada sues Billy Napier, booster for fraud

The Jaden Rashada story continues for Florida football as the former prospect files a lawsuit against the program.

College football’s nascent paradigm of name, image and likeness deals has turned the sport upside down as an era of post-amateur competition begins to emerge. Predictably, this shift has not come without growing pains.

According to a press release on Tuesday morning, [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] — one of the top quarterbacks in the 2023 recruiting cycle — is suing Florida Gators head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and a University of Florida booster for fraud.

The litigation stems from an offer made by UF to lure Rashada away from the Miami Hurricanes with a $13.85 million NIL deal after UM promised him $9.5 million to sign with them. As it turns out, this was a violation of NCAA bylaws.

“Sadly, this type of fraud is becoming more commonplace in the Wild West that is today’s college NIL landscape,” said Rusty Hardin, an attorney representing Rashada.

Florida’s behavior did not end with the NIL contract being canceled, according to the complaint. These actions culminated with Napier himself vouching that UF alumni were good on their promise that Jaden would receive $1 million if he signed with UF on national signing day.

The booster named in the suit is automotive technology entrepreneur Hugh Hathcock as well as his former company, Velocity Automotive, which was supposed to help finance the package. In addition to Napier and Hathcock, the defendants also include Marcus Castro-Walker, the former Director of Player Engagement and NIL for the University of Florida.

“Wealthy alumni, consumed by their schools’ athletic programs, are taking advantage of young people by offering them life-changing sums of money, only to renege on their commitments,” Hardin notes.

“As the first scholar-athlete to take a stand against this egregious behavior, Jaden seeks to hold these defendants accountable for their actions and to expose their as-yet unchecked abuse of power.”

Castro-Walker is no longer with the Florida program. Hathcock, a longtime Florida booster, is not involved in NIL activities and his Gator Guard collective shut down.

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Former Florida quarterback signee transfers to Georgia

At one point, Jaden Rashada was Florida’s quarterback of the future. Now he’s with Georgia after a first-year transfer from Arizona State.

Instead of calling plays for quarterback Jaden Rashada in 2025, Florida head coach Billy Napier will attempt to slow down the one-time Gators signee who is now headed to the University of Georgia via the transfer portal, according to 247Sports’ Jordan D. Hill.

Rashada’s commitment on Thursday hardly comes as a surprise. Experts immediately linked him to the Bulldogs when the former blue-chip recruit hit the portal. He’ll sit for a year behind Carson Beck as he prepares to take over the starting role in 2025.

Of course, Florida will likely start DJ Lagway next season, setting up an elite matchup at the quarterback position. Florida could have had both, though, had it not been for some empty promises made by the now-defunct Gator Collective.

Rashada’s recruiting saga will go down as one of the earliest disasters of the name, image and likeness era of college football. Once committed to Miami, he flipped to Florida and was the last player to sign during the early signing period. Florida ended up releasing him from that letter of intent after the NIL deal fell through, and now he’s a Bulldog.

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Top transfer quarterback commits to Georgia

Jaden Rashada, who started three games in his freshman year at Arizona State, has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs

After visiting Athens earlier this week, the top ranked quarterback in the transfer portal has officially committed to Georgia. Jaden Rashada, who started three games a season ago in his freshman year at Arizona State, made his decision to join the Bulldogs official on Thursday through his agent.

As the quarterback of the Sun Devils a year ago, Rashada completed 44 of 82 passes for 485 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. He missed much of the year due to injuries. Rashada is a former four-star recruit in the class of 2023 and had previously signed Florida in that cycle, before being released due to the failure of his initial NIL deal with the Gators.

For Georgia, landing Rashada is a major victory. Kirby Smart had been publicly looking for a fourth scholarship quarterback to join Carson Beck, Gunner Stockton, and Ryan Puglisi on the roster for this season. Rashada also provides an experience boost given Stockton having zero collegiate starts and Puglisi being unable to fully participate in his first spring game with the program.

In terms of the future, Rashada could be a potential starter for the 2025 season after the likely departure of Carson Beck to the NFL. The 2025 quarterback battle could be an intriguing competition.

Arizona State QB Jaden Rashada opens eyes with transfer portal move

Jaden Rashada can’t seem to find a situation he likes.

The Jaden Rashada story has taken another wild turn. Rashada, who had signed with Florida before reversing course and choosing Arizona State, has entered the transfer portal and left second-year Sun Devil head coach Kenny Dillingham. It’s another plot twist in a journey which has been more interesting off the field than on.

Gators Wire offered background on Rashada when he originally went to Arizona State:

“He signed with UF during the early signing period, but a reported $13 million name, image and likeness deal fell through before he ever enrolled in classes. That’s when Rashada asked to be released from his letter of intent and set off to find a new home.

“In the end, perhaps Rashada wound up where he should be. He’ll still find success in the NIL market wherever he goes, and playing under the pressure of a $10 million-plus contract might have ruined him before he even got started in the Swamp. There’s also class of 2024 quarterback DJ Lagway to consider. The five-star recruit would be coming in a year after Rashada and competing with him after a year of Graham Mertz or Jack Miller III as the starter.”

Everyone will be intensely interested in Rashada’s next landing spot.

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SOURCES: NCAA’s investigation of Florida football rooted in 2022 recruiting

It appears that the NCAA is investigating Florida football in relation to Jaden Rashada’s recruitment.

The Gator Nation got some bad news on Friday when Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times published a report that the University of Florida’s football program has been under investigation by the NCAA since last summer.

No other specifics were released at the time, but The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel and Chris Vannini followed up the report shortly after with some clarifications. According to their sources, the alleged infraction involves the recruitment of four-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag], who ultimately chose the Arizona State Sun Devils over the Gators.

The Northern California product was a highly coveted recruit in the 2022 cycle, with Florida and the Miami Hurricanes battling the hardest over him. Rashada initially signed on with the ‘Canes before flipping on Nov. 10, 2022, to the Gators thanks to a contract that would have paid him $13.85 million over four years through the Gator Collective.

Rashada signed with the Orange and Blue during the early signing period but had cold feet about the arrangement less than a month later, leading to him requesting his release from his letter of intent.

It appears that not everything was kosher with that deal.

According to a pair of sources familiar with The Athletic, the hangup appears to be reportedly related to the role of Florida staff member Marcus Castro-Walker, who is listed on the school’s website as director of player engagement and NIL. Booster Hugh Hathcock, who pledged $12.6 million to Florida’s athletic department in April 2022 and later launched the Gator Guard collective, is also under investigation.

The latter posted a series of tweets leading up to Rashada’s commitment, which could serve as a breadcrumb trail back to his involvement.

“We have been and will continue to cooperate with the NCAA,” Florida senior associate athletic director Steve McClain said in a statement. “We hold ourselves to high standards of excellence and integrity on and off the field. Because we follow NCAA policies about maintaining confidentiality, we are unable to offer additional comments.”

The Gators are not the only football program in the Sunshine State team dealing with NCAA issues. Florida State Seminoles were sanctioned for NIL violations last week, which included fines, probation and scholarship reductions.

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REPORT: Freshman quarterback Jaden Rashada to start for Arizona State on Saturday

The freshman, who still leads the team with three touchdown passes despite playing two games, will start after dealing with an injury.

Arizona State’s offense will be led by freshman quarterback Jaden Rashada on Saturday in the Territorial Cup against Arizona, per reports from 247Sports’ Chris Karpman.

Rashada started the first two games for Arizona State but hasn’t played since with an undisclosed injury. Head coach Kenny Dillingham did not specify the nature of the injury at the time but said it was something that had bothered the quarterback since high school.

Rashada, a four-star quarterback prospect in high school, showed flashes of his potential in his first two games this year. He completed 34 of 60 passes for 403 yards, and he still leads the Sun Devils with three touchdown passes this season.

The in-state battle is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Jaden Rashada set to be named starting quarterback per reports

It appears we have a new starter for Arizona State.

According to On3 college football insider Matt Zentiz, freshman quarterback Jaden Rashada is set to be named the starter at Arizona State.

Rashada made plenty of headlines this past offseason with his commitment to the Florida Gators and ultimately landing at Arizona State with first-year head coach Kenny Dillingham. The Sun Devils also brought in former Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne to compete for the starting job.

Although Rashada hasn’t been flawless by any means during the preseason, his arm talent and the capability to make big plays down the field has stuck out and been an advantage for him compared to the other quarterbacks.

Arizona State, which is entering its first season with former Oregon and Florida State offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham as its head coach, opens its season against FCS Southern Utah August 31.

The first big test for Arizona State and Rashada will come on Sept. 9 when the Sun Devils host the Oklahoma State Cowboys. It will also give fans a preview of the new-look Big 12 given that Arizona State joins the conference in 2024.

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