• Loading stock data...
Thursday, July 3, 2025

Jaden Rashada Sues Florida Football Coaches, Boosters Over Alleged False NIL Promises

  • He says UF backed out of a $13.85 million NIL agreement.
  • The quarterback was convinced to decommit from Miami, where he would’ve made $9.5 million.
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

Amid a historic week in college athletics that could mark the start of a new revenue-sharing model, the nation’s first known lawsuit by a college athlete suing a booster and coaches over unfulfilled name, image, and likeness collective promises has been filed.

Jaden Rashada, a University of Georgia quarterback who was once committed to Florida, is suing Gators head coach Billy Napier, former director of player engagement and NIL Marcus Castro-Walker, booster Hugh Hathcock, and the donor’s former auto dealership. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Florida, claims that all three men made promises of $13.85 million in NIL deals that convinced Rashada to sign with the team in December 2022 but were never delivered.

Rashada originally committed to the University of Miami with promises of $9.5 million in NIL deals, according to the filing. UF came roaring back, promising $5.35 million from Hathcock (including a $500,000 signing bonus from his auto dealership) and the rest from the booster’s NIL collective called Gator Guard.

Then Hathcock “balked,” the lawsuit says, so another group, the Gator Collective, stepped in with promises to make the payments. That secured the recruit’s commitment on social media, but a few weeks later, the day after the due date for the signing bonus, the Gator Collective backed out by sending Rashada a letter to end their agreement, he claims. Responsibility shifted back to Hathcock, who did wire Rashada $150,000 to pay back the Miami booster he owed for flipping but still hadn’t sent the $500,000 in time for signing day, per the suit. 

The filing says one of Rashada’s NIL agents told him not to sign yet, but a phone call from Napier to his father promising an immediate $1 million from Hathcock convinced him to put pen to paper.

Over the next few weeks, according to the lawsuit, Rashada fielded “a series of new promises of NIL agreements that consistently remained unfulfilled.” The filing only says that the amount of money being discussed “decreased drastically,” but ESPN reports the figure was less than half the original offer. Rashada decided to decommit from Florida. He chose Arizona State, his father’s alma mater, and this offseason transferred to Georgia.

“Sadly, unethical and illegal tactics like this are more and more commonplace in the Wild West that is today’s college football landscape. As the first scholar-athlete to take a stand against such egregious behavior by adults who should know better, Jaden seeks to hold Defendants accountable for their actions and to expose the unchecked abuse of power that they shamelessly wielded,” the lawsuit reads.

The NCAA opened an investigation into Rashada’s recruiting process at Florida last year, because, at the time, NCAA rules restricted explicit discussions of NIL money in recruiting. As of a February preliminary injunction granted in Tennessee, the NCAA can’t enforce any of its NIL rules.

Rashada’s suit emphasizes the precarious compensation model that currently exists in college athletics. This week’s House v. NCAA case ending at the same time could unlock a new structure for paying athletes that doesn’t involve what Rashada’s attorney calls “overzealous alumni” playing a “classic con game on a 19-year-old.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) passes the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.
breaking

California AG Says Daily Fantasy Sports Are Illegal

The AG rejected arguments that DFS are games of skill, not chance.

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”
Jun 9, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Ortiz (45) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field.

Guardians Pitcher Luis Ortiz Put on Paid Leave Amid MLB Probe

Reports say the investigation is tied to gambling.
Mike Crapo

Trump Bill’s Tax Hike on Gamblers Was Authored by Sen. Mike Crapo

Crapo’s office did not respond to several messages seeking comment.

Featured Today

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
June 26, 2025

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.

Everything You Need to Know About EA’s Return to College Basketball Video..

There hasn’t been a college basketball game in more than 15 years.
July 1, 2025

Big Ten Commish Still Pushes for 4 Auto CFP Bids in 16-Team..

The conference wants four guaranteed spots in the Playoff.
Ohio State
July 1, 2025

Collectives Funnel $20 Million to College Athletes on Last Day Before Revenue..

Collectives frontloaded payments just before the revenue sharing era begins July 1.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
June 30, 2025

College Sports Revenue-Sharing Underway As More Changes Loom

July 1 marks the first day schools can directly pay players.
June 30, 2025

Pac-12 Hits Football Membership Threshold With Texas State Entry

The school is paying $5 million to leave the Sun Belt Conference.
Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Baylor Bears guard Jeremy Roach (3) reacts after a play during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center.
June 26, 2025

Power Four Put Finishing Touches on How Revenue Sharing Era Will Work

The agreement stipulates that schools can’t sue to challenge any terms of the settlement.
June 26, 2025

Pac-12 Rebuild Nears Completion With 2026 Texas State Addition

The Sun Belt school is likely joining the Pac-12 in 2026.