Finebaum Show Discusses 'Utterly Bizarre' Florida Gators-Jaden Rashada Saga

Paul Finebaum and Andrea Adelson didn't hold back while critiquing the NIL situation preventing quarterback Jaden Rashada from joining the Florida Gators.

Photo: Jaden Rashada; Credit: Zach Goodall 

Paul Finebaum waited over one week to discuss Jaden Rashada's imminent exit from Florida's 2023 signing class on his daily ESPN radio show, citing a need for facts to emerge from what has been a story littered by "unsubstantiated reporting" after the quarterback failed to enroll at UF as planned on Monday, Jan. 9. 

While the situation remains quite opaque, The Paul Finebaum Show had enough intel to break down the topic at length on Wednesday. 

"We're talking about the Florida commit, Jaden Rashada, the jewel of their class, and he is no more, reportedly walking away after his $13 million NIL deal collapsed," Finebaum opened, referencing numerous reports that Rashada requested release from his signed National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Florida over a financial dispute.

"Only in 2023 would we dare have headlines like that."

Finebaum welcomed ESPN college football reporter Andrea Adelson onto the show to offer the following in-depth timeline of Rashada's recruitment up until its current status: In the hands of the NCAA, awaiting clearance to re-open. Most of the events have been documented to some degree but are worth rehashing to summarize one of the wildest recruitments ever observed. 

"In June, when Jaden Rashada announced he was committing to Miami, a lot of people thought he was going to commit to Florida, and his NIL agent came out and said 'Well, he left some money on the table.' So, all of a sudden we start hearing about what the NIL deals potentially look like for Jaden Rashada. In his commitment to Miami. There was rumor and speculation he was getting an NIL deal from John Ruiz who's the Miami super-booster. And then, a couple months pass, Gator fans are very upset. 'What's happening?' Lots of back and forth on social media about Florida not being able to get Jaden Rashada into the mix. OK, couple months later, oh, look, he changes his commitment. Now he's all in on Florida. Several weeks ago he's at the Under Armour [All-America] game, he talks about how he can't wait to get to campus, he's so excited, he's going to be a great player. And now he's asking for his release from his Letter of Intent because his NIL deal reportedly fell through."

Class of 2023 quarterback Jaden Rashada / Zach Goodall

"It is utterly bizarre," Finebaum laughed. "We shouldn't be surprised at anything we see in college football, but just, this headline alone has me shaking my head."

The $13 million figure for Rashada's Name, Image and Likeness deal — agreed upon in principle with unspecified parties within the Gator Collective — has made its runs around the rumor mill. That is not a number Adelson was able to confirm, however, citing the possibility of agents and negotiators serving their own interests in leaking contract details. 

What Adelson and Finebaum did suggest is that the situation is less than ideal for Florida entering Billy Napier's second season as the program's head coach — from multiple angles. 

It removes hope in the form of a quarterback of the future after a first year on the job in which Napier was, as Finebaum put it, "struggling in the NIL place as well as recruiting, and just a miserable season." He went on to call Rashada's signing "one of the few positives to take out of the '22 campaign." 

It also harms the perception of NIL at the University of Florida, considering the program's current partnership-style approach with third parties such as the Gator Collective, a legal and widely utilized but relatively unstructured method to compensate student-athletes primarily on behalf of team loyalty. 

The university itself is not allowed to craft or participate in NIL deals or pay players aside from financial aid. As Adelson made note of, that reality has limited UF's ability to comment on the situation, although she mentioned the inevitability that Napier will be asked about it in a press conference setting.

Both of the above factors combine to set Florida back as Georgia stacks national championships and in-state rival Florida State emerges as a potential College Football Playoff contender, Adelson claimed. She believes Napier would admit as much, at least pertaining to the need to iron out the quarterback position. 

"Obviously it hurts, Paul. There's no question about that," Adelson said. "This story has been following Billy Napier since the summer, because back then when Jaden Rashada committed to Miami, all of these Gator fans started questioning 'Oh, we thought we were getting this top-notch recruiter in Billy Napier and now he can't bring in this top quarterback recruit, what is happening here?' 

Florida head coach Billy Napier / Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

"Lots of questions about Billy Napier, before he even coached a game, that was coming in from the Gator fanbase surrounding this recruit in particular. Then he's able to get him into the mix, but now he's not in the mix. So it's just not a good look at all, for anybody involved in any of this ... Particularly at the University of Florida, where they have three Heisman Trophy winners who have played quarterback."

But, once again, it is worth remembering that Napier isn't involved in the NIL aspect that is modern-day recruiting as an employee of the university athletic association.

That understanding led Adelson to her next point: NIL, at least currently, is an uncontrollable marketplace, which could have been predicted when it was legalized without strong support and guidance from the NCAA.

College football talent acquisition commerce has been infiltrated by high-rollers, business people, agents, lawyers and even parents tempted by the money signs that pair with the logos on signing day ceremony hats. 

It has given the recruit less clarity and control over their college decision than ever, as summed up well by Adelson below.

"When NIL first arrived, a lot of folks who talked about Wild Wild West and doomsday scenarios predicted situations like this. That it was going to get to a point where you started hearing about some of these contracts that were going to be offered by collectives, who are trying to be able to bring you the recruits or transfers in and help out their programs a little bit, and have a situation where things fall apart as spectacularly as the way that they have. Because when you're talking about the millions of dollars that are reportedly on the table, and you're talking about an 18-year-old young man, plus all the advisors that he has around him, plus agents who probably are looking out not only for the athlete but perhaps their own self-interest as they make their way in this NIL marketplace, and maybe try and reel in some other recruits and show them, 'Hey, look what I got this player, maybe I can get this for you? I can do better here.' You know, this is all a situation, as bizarre as it may seem, that was completely highly predictable. And several people that I've talked to, it's not necessarily the recruits that are ruining things. It's these agents and third parties and collectives and all these other people who are trying to have a foot in the door and arm at the table, so to speak, who are going to ruin things for a lot of people. And quite honestly, Paul, I feel bad for this young man. I feel bad for Florida ... Who knows who's at fault here, but the bottom line is I don't necessarily feel as if this is a situation that's going to be a one-time thing. I wouldn't be surprised if we see things like this continue to repeat themselves."

"In fairness to Billy Napier, probably the one story he didn't need after a brutal bowl game, a terribly disappointing season," Finebaum asserted. "He finally got some wins in recruiting, and now this." 

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