College football’s top quarterback Jaden Rashada has sued individuals associated with his failed recruitment to the University of Florida, alleging that the football powerhouse’s coach, team and one of the football powerhouse’s top boosters caused him to lose a $13 settlement. .85 million for the use of his name, image, and likeness (NIL).
The lawsuit marks the first time a college athlete has sued a coach or booster over a NIL agreement, according to ESPNsince such agreements became legal in 2021.
Mr Rashada lawsuitfiled in Florida federal court on Tuesday, claims the effort is “emblematic of the abuses that run rampant in the world of big-time college football.”
In the lawsuit, the quarterback claims that Florida coach Billy Napier already fired UF football official Marcus Castro-Walker and a prominent Florida football advocate named Hugh Hathcock worked closely during negotiations in which Mr. Rashada was ultimately unable to secure a supposedly promised NIL settlement of $13 .85 million.
The Independent contacted the UF football program, as well as Mr. Hathcock and Mr. Castro-Walker, for comment.
The lawsuit details a dizzying series of negotiations surrounding Mr. Rashada, which initially committed to play for the University of Miami in June 2022.
After the announcement, according to the lawsuit, a wealthy Florida businessman and UF booster named Hugh Hathcock began courting Mr. Rashada, verbally offering an NIL settlement of $11 million, a figure allegedly increased to nearly $14 million in October.
The following month, Rashada announced that he intended to sign for Florida.
Under initial terms of the agreementaccording to the lawsuit, Rashada would receive $5.35 million from Hathcock, including a $500,000 signing bonus through Hathcock’s company Velocity Automotive, and the rest through Gator Guard, the businessman’s NIL collective.
However, according to the lawsuit, as negotiations progressed, Mr. Hathcock objected to using his company to finance the deal and instead worked with Mr. Castro-Walker, the UF, in a plan to transfer the funds through the Gator Collective, another NIL group with separate leadership, which has since been defunct.
On December 6, according to the lawsuit, the collective group Gator informed Mr. Rashada that it would terminate the NIL agreement.
Still, those associated with the recruiting effort continued to promise the young quarterback that the deal would go through.
After the termination, Castro-Walker and Napier, the Florida coach, allegedly told the recruit they would “fulfill” the original agreement, with the former telling the QB’s agent that Hathcock and his Gator Guard group would “personally guarantee” the money. .
As the December 21 early signing deadline approached, the parties had not yet reached a firm agreement and Mr. Rashada had not officially signed with Florida.
This reportedly led Castro-Walker and the Florida coach to offer assurances that the signing bonus would come to fruition.
The coach also reportedly contacted the recruit’s father and said Hathcock was ready to transfer $1 million to the quarterback if he signed with UF on National Signing Day.
Following this supposed promise, Mr. Rashada officially signed with Florida.
However, the massive NIL settlement the recruit believed he would pursue did not materialize, and the lawsuit alleges that “these people — with Hathcock leading the charge — changed their minds and went back on their word.”
“The amount of UF-affiliated NIL money available to Jaden has drastically decreased,” the lawsuit adds.
The decision to go to Florida reportedly cost the recruit a nearly $10 million NIL deal with Miami, his original choice.
The lawsuit seeks the same amount or more in damages and accuses the parties of fraud, negligence and tortious interference.
UF Senior Associate Director of Athletics Steve McClain said The Independent: “We do not comment on ongoing litigation and neither the University Athletic Association nor the University are named in the complaint. The UAA will provide personal advice to Coach Napier and we will direct all questions to these representatives.”
NIL agreements cannot be used to induce a recruit to sign with a school, per NCAA rules, and, at the time of the alleged conduct at issue in the lawsuit, NIL boosters and collectives were not permitted to discuss the terms. dealing with potential recruits.
Since late February, however, the NCAA has been prohibited from enforcing NIL-related rule violations, following a preliminary injunction in a Tennessee federal case.
The NCAA previously launched an investigation into the quarterback’s recruitment, although it has since halted the investigation, Atlético reports.
In January 2023, the quarterback was released from his letter of intent at Florida and instead opted to play for Arizona State.
He is now returned to the South to play for the University of Georgiaone of Florida’s main rivals.
