The advent of NIL has meant that recruitment in College football has become a more arbitrary process now. A math equation. It is now longer about how much a coach praises your mom’s cooking when they visit your house, or if the program has a track record of being a conveyor belt into the NFL. Recruitment now is undercut by how many zeroes are at the end of your cheque. This change in dynamic has afforded athletes more leverage with their programs. Athletes being mercenaries has been a topic of discourse in the NBA ever since LeBron James took his talents to South Beach. Sadly, this phenomenon has trickled down to College Football as well. Jaden Rashada is Exhibit A of this, and Florida Gators’ HC Billy Napier witnessed this first-hand.
The Nico Iamaleava-Tennessee ordeal has shone light on the pitfalls of the fractured legislature around NIL. Even though College Football continues to bridge the gulf between itself and professional sport, the rules governing it are still very amateur. Quarterback Jaden Rashada, currently in the transfer portal, allegedly became victim to CFB being the Wild, Wild West coming out of high school. Rashada is involved in a lawsuit- the first of its kind- pertaining to false promises on the NIL front. On the other end of this is UF, their NIL collective and more particularly Billy Napier. A couple of years in the making, more details about this lawsuit and hearing are now public.
Jaden Rashada sued Billy Napier and Florida, along with their NIL boosters, in May 2024. Citing fraud, the lawsuit is basically a tale of “he said, she said.” Rashada alleges he was promised $13.85 million for flipping his commitment from Miami in 2022 and join UF instead. He held his end of the bargain and did flip. However, Florida didn’t hold theirs. The suit alleges that Napier promised Rashada and his family $1 million as a “partial payment” upon signing the dotted line. But that never transpired. An interesting wrinkle in the lawsuit reads that Jaden Rashada had a $9.5 million offer from Miami. Rashada was a four-star recruit, and the Canes really were desperate for a messiah at QB back then. So that does add up. Alas, almost 1 year after initially being filed, we are now privy to when the case is getting heard in court.
“According to Mitch Gilfillan, a court date has been set for the lawsuit between Jaden Rashada and Florida head coach Billy Napier. The trial will take place on July 20, 2026, while all depositions must be presented by Oct. 1, 2025,” relayed an article by On3. Sure seems like Rashada and his entourage have a big 5 months or so between now and fall in front of them. Not just because they need to assimilate and depositions and evidence. But also because his career is currently at a bit of a crossroads. Rashada is preparing to go to his 3rd school this spring. That’s as many teams as games he’s played in college. A highly-touted recruit who stood to make millions as a teenager is now proactively seeking a home.
A court date has been set for the lawsuit filed by Jaden Rashada against Florida head coach Billy Napier.
The two-week trial is scheduled for July 20, 2026, while all depositions must be presented by Oct. 1, 2025.
More: https://t.co/cyPJqEUDGi pic.twitter.com/LjxF643LTH
— On3 NIL (@On3NIL) April 23, 2025
After what happened with Florida, Jaden Rashada enrolled at Arizona State. He started 3 games as a true freshman in 2o23, going 44-of-82 for 485 passing yards. To go with 4 TDs and 3 picks. Not great, but not too bad either. However, Sun Devils HC Kenny Dillingham replaced him with Sam Leavitt mid-season. Hmm, wonder how that’s worked out for him 2 years on. A Big 12 championship and CFP appearance later he’s probably not losing sleep over the decision. As for Rashada, he transferred to Georgia. But after struggling to break through for the Bulldogs, he now finds himself traversing the transfer portal again. Rashada seemed to be trending towards Chapel Hill and the UNC Tar Heels, but that notion’s been nipped in the bud.
The post Billy Napier Gets Major Update in $13.8M Jaden Rashada Lawsuit After Bill Belichick’s UNC Reportedly Backs Off Ex-Georgia QB appeared first on EssentiallySports.
