Georgia Quarterback Transfer Jaden Rashada to Sue Florida Coach Napier

Former Gator has filed a complaint against many close to the Florida football program for fraudulent NIL offerings

Florida Gators offensive coordinator Rob Sale hugs Florida Gators recruit Jaden Rashada after the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 12, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs South Carolina Gamecocks / Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK

Current Georgia quarterback Jaden Rashada has just filled suit against University of Florida head coach Billy Napier, Hugh Hancock (a large Florida booster), and others close to the program. A 37-page complaint filed in the Northern District of Florida calls back to events in the winter of 2022 and alleges the defendants conspired to defraud the then high school senior Rashada by getting him to flip his commitment from Miami to Florida under false pretenses.

The complaint posits that Rashada was promised $13,850,000 in NIL compensation over four years tethered to his residence near the University of Florida and $1,000,000 up front on signing day – neither of those promises materialized and those who offered these sums are alleged to have never intended to make good on them. 

Rashada was offered a highly publicized $9,500,000 deal from the University of Miami’s vocal NIL booster John Ruiz prior to his flip before signing day. According to the complaint, the only money Rashada received from the initial Florida deal was $150,000 to make good on money already given to him from Ruiz and Miami. On the day of the first scheduled payment, Rashada was expecting to see a $500,000 payment, but was instead greeted by a termination letter of his contract; this was just two weeks prior to national signing day.

Repeated promises from Florida Head Coach Billy Napier encouraged Rashada that the Gator Guard Collective and Hugh Hancock were good on their promises and reassured him to sign with the team even with the doubts that had surrounded the termination of the initial contract. One month later, Rashada withdrew his commitment from the University of Florida and decided to attend Arizona State where he played a season before ultimately transferring to Georgia. His lawsuit aims to recover damages from the alleged fraudulent behavior of those around the Florida program, the $9,500,000 he sacrificed will likely play a large role in such discussions.

Rashada has acquired trusted and experienced counsel for this suit. His attorney, Rusty Hardin, has been designated as one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America by the National Law Journal. The seasoned attorney is no stranger to advocating on behalf of athletes: Hardin has handled and produced positive results for several high-profile cases tied to sportsmen including the likes of Warren Moon, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Calvin Murphy, and Scottie Pippen.

In comments from Hardin to ESPN, the attorney summarized the case bluntly "It's a classic con game on a 19-year-old … we've taken away our commitment in writing to you, but, trust us, not only is the check in the mail, but you can be comfortable you're going to get X. ... And it never happened. ... And he leaves not for the money, but because he can no longer trust them." If the case goes to trial, it has the potential to be one of the most highly publicized court cases in collegiate football history.