Jaden Rashada's $13.85M Florida recruiting timeline: Full event breakdown that led to a lawsuit on Napier, Hancock, and Co.
Jaden Rashada, the former four-star quarterback recruit of the class of 2023, who was the protagonist of a recruiting battle between Miami and Florida, has decided to sue the Gators. Rashada was reportedly lured into Florida by a $13.85 million NIL deal that fell through just after he flipped his commitment from the Canes to the Gators.
In the newest development, Rashada, now at Georgia after a few seasons at Arizona State, has sued Florida coach Billy Napier, top Gators booster Hugh Hathcock and former football staffer Marcus Castro-Walker for fraudulent behavior.
The litany of allegations includes fraudulent misrepresentation and inducement, aiding and abetting fraud, civil conspiracy to commit fraud, negligent misrepresentation, tortious interference with a business relationship or contract and aiding and abetting tortious interference.
An excerpt of the lawsuit read:
"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, each of their individual schemes would not have succeeded without assistance from one another."
What led to Jaden Rashada suing coach Billy Napier and other important stakeholders at the University of Florida?
In June 2022, Jaden Rashada, a four-star prospect from Pittsburg, California, committed to the state rivals of the Gators, the Miami Hurricanes. On Nov. 10 of that year, Rashada signed an NIL deal worth $13.85 million with Gator Collective, a group of boosters for the University of Florida. The money was set to be paid over four years, with the first payment of half a million dollars in December 2022.
On Nov. 11, Rashada announced he was breaking his commitment to Miami and picking Florida, lured by the economic incentives. The Dec. 5 payment date came and went, and no money was sent to the Florida commit. On Dec. 7, Gator Collective broke its contract with Rashada. Nonetheless, Rashada signed a national letter of intent with Florida on Dec. 21.
On Jan. 10, the date on which the recruits were expected to report, Jaden Rashada was a no-show in Gainsville. Ten days later, Florida released him from his NLI, and by Feb. 1, Rashada was a player for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Now Rashada is suing those involved in what he believes to be a fraudulent attempt to bring him to Florida.