University of Georgia quarterback Jaden Rashada initiated a federal lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging that University of Florida head football coach William “Billy” Napier and others committed fraud and neglected to fulfill a promised $13.85 million agreement related to his name, image, and likeness (NIL).
Rashada claims that Hugh Hathcock, a longtime supporter of the University of Florida, and Napier never intended to give him the promised millions for joining the Gators in 2022, despite the high school senior initially planning to attend the University of Miami.
During that period, Rashada was in high demand as a high school quarterback from Pittsburg, CA. According to 247 Sports, he was the sixth-best quarterback in the nation.
According to the lawsuit, Rashada received the $13.85 million that “Hathcock’s Gator Guard Collective” promised her on December 7, 2022. Additionally, Gators supporters facilitated a payment to Rashada to help settle a debt owed to University of Miami donor John Ruiz, following the quarterback’s switch of verbal commitment from the Hurricanes, according to the suit.
Eight months prior, Hathcock committed $12.6 million to Gator Boosters, according to the University of Florida. The institution noted that this was the largest financial contribution in the organization’s history.
Velocity Automotive Solutions, owned by Hathcock, is named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Rashada claimed that Velocity Automotive Solutions would contribute to the proposed funds.
Rashada and his lawyer, Rusty Hardin, stated that Napier assured the high school senior, Jaden, that Florida alumni were committed to fulfilling their promise of providing $1 million if he signed with UF on National Signing Day.
The lawsuit claims Marcus Castro-Walker, who used to serve as Florida’s director of player engagement and NIL, “warned—on National Signing Day—that if Jaden did not commit to UF by signing a national letter of intent, Coach Napier might completely abandon his efforts with Jaden.”
When asked for a statement from the school and Napier, Steve McClain, a representative for the University Athletic Association (UAA) at the University of Florida, informed CNN: “We do not provide comments on active legal cases, and neither the University Athletic Association nor the University are mentioned in the lawsuit.”
The UAA will ensure that Coach Napier’s attorney is available, and any inquiries should be addressed to them.
The 37-page lawsuit claims: “Misleading assurances like these ultimately persuaded Jaden to switch sides and sign a $13.85 million NIL contract with the Gator Collective. However, once Jaden dedicated himself to UF, instead of fulfilling the promise to make Jaden ‘wealthy’, these individuals, spearheaded by Hathcock, reneged on their commitments.”
According to the complaint, Rashada reversed his decision to play for Florida and joined Arizona State in 2023. The lawsuit asserts: “Jaden neither asked for nor was offered any form of NIL agreement from Arizona State.”
Last month, Rashada shared on X that he had officially entered the transfer portal after spending just one season with the Sun Devils. During his time at Arizona State, he participated in only three games, where he threw four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Rashada shared on X that he has committed to being a Georgia Bulldog and plans to join the team for the 2024 season.
Rashada chose to enroll at Georgia for reasons unrelated to any promises, guarantees, or incentives tied to NIL money.
Georgia and Florida, adversaries in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), are gearing up for another football clash on November 2 in Jacksonville, Florida. These SEC competitors have been battling it out in an annual game since 1926, consistently held in Jacksonville since 1933.
