Billy Napier and the Florida Gators appear to have lost a top recruit after a name, image and likeness deal fell through.
Quarterback recruit Jaden Rashada requested a release from his National Letter of Intent (LOI), according to multiple reports Tuesday.
Team Speed quarterback Jaden Rashada before the Under Armor Next All-America Football Game on January 3, 2023 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. (Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Rashada, a four-star recruit from Pittsburg, Calif., failed to enlist in Florida last week and raised red flags that his future at Gainesville was in doubt.
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Rashada’s commitment to the Gators was contingent on a four-year, $13 million deal he signed with the Gator Collective, according to The Associated Press.
The Gator Collective is a “fan club that connects athletes with fans and allows athletes to earn compensation for their name, image and likeness”.
On December 7, Rashada reportedly received a letter from the leader of the Gator collective wishing to end the deal, catching the Florida football program off guard.
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The situation could have further ramifications as Rashada’s reps could file a lawsuit against the Gator Collective and possibly the Florida Athletic Department, according to the AP.
Quarterback Jaden Rashada runs with the ball during the Under Armor Next All-America Game in Orlando on Jan. 3, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Last week, Rashada’s father told 247 Sports that he and his son are “right now working through some things with Florida and hope they get resolved soon.”
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“I just think there’s a high level of trust there on both sides,” Napier said of Rashada when the recruiting course was announced. “I’m really excited to see what he will bring to our team…I can’t compliment Jaden enough on who he is as a person, as a leader and as a character. Jaden is a guy who came here and fell in love with the University of Florida and really connected to a lot of people here. It was sincere.”
Rashada is the No. 7 QB recruit in the 2023 247 Sports class and was originally signed to Miami before moving to Florida in November.
Jaden Rashada watches the game between the Florida Gators and the South Carolina Gamecocks on November 12, 2022 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
In the short term, Rashada’s loss is a blow to Florida’s football program, which is now struggling for depth at the quarterback position.
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The Gators lost Anthony Richardson in the NFL draft and fired backup quarterback Jalen Kitna in December after he was arrested for child pornography.
Florida signed former Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz in late December to compete with Jack Miller III for the starting job.
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report
Joe Morgan is a sports reporter for Fox News.