Former Florida signee Jaden Rashada is suing Florida coach Billy Napier, a top booster, and others over a failed NIL deal valued at approximately \$13.85 million. The lawsuit, filed May 21, 2024, in U.S. District Court in Pensacola, alleges multiple counts including fraudulent misrepresentation, inducement, aiding and abetting fraud, civil conspiracy to commit fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and tortious interference—with damages sought at a minimum of \$10 million.**
Rashada, who initially committed to Miami under a reported \$9.5 million NIL offer, flipped to the University of Florida after being offered nearly \$13.85 million by the Gator Collective—a booster-backed group. The agreement included a promised \$1 million payment on signing day, a promise Rashada claims was never fulfilled.
Instead, the deal was abruptly terminated before Rashada arrived on campus, leaving him with delayed payments and no confidence in the football program’s leadership. Within a month, he was released and enrolled at Arizona State, where he played three games before transferring to Georgia.
On April 9, 2025, a federal judge ruled that the case could proceed to discovery, allowing three fraud-related claims and one conspiracy claim to move forward, despite some counts being dismissed. The court cited a compelling narrative about the defendants allegedly “marching to the beat of the same drum” in luring Rashada with promises they never intended to fulfill.
**In short:** Rashada’s case spotlights the murky side of NIL-era college hiring, where lucrative promises—particularly from boosters—can be made, then reneged upon, potentially exploiting young athletes as the NCAA grapples with oversight
