Since the introduction of NIL, the recruitment process in college football has become increasingly arbitrary. A math equation. It is no longer about how much a coach praises your mom’s cooking when they visit your house or if the program has a track record of being a conveyor belt into the NFL. The number of zeroes at the end of your check now undercuts recruitment. This shift in dynamics has given athletes more bargaining power with their teams. Athletes being mercenaries has been a topic of discourse in the NBA ever since LeBron James took his talents to South Beach. Sadly, this phenomenon has trickled down to college football as well. Jaden Rashada is Exhibit A of this, and Florida Gators’ HC Billy Napier witnessed this firsthand.

The Nico Iamaleava-Tennessee ordeal has highlighted the pitfalls of the fractured legislature around NIL. Even though college football continues to bridge the gap between itself and professional sport, the rules governing it are still very amateur. Quarterback Jaden Rashada, currently in the transfer portal, allegedly became a victim of CFB being the Wild, Wild West coming out of high school. Rashada is involved in a lawsuit—the first of its kind—pertaining to false promises on the NIL front. On the other end of this is UF, their NIL collective, and, more particularly, Billy Napier. A couple of years in the making, more details about this lawsuit and hearing are now public.

Jaden Rashada sued Billy Napier and Florida, along with their NIL boosters, in May 2024. Citing fraud, the lawsuit is basically a tale of “he said, she said.” Rashada alleges he was promised $13.85 million for flipping his commitment from Miami in 2022 and joining UF instead. He held his end of the bargain and did flip. However, Florida didn’t hold theirs. The suit alleges that Napier promised Rashada and his family $1 million as a “partial payment” upon signing the dotted line. But that never transpired. An interesting wrinkle in the lawsuit reads that Jaden Rashada had a $9.5 million offer from Miami. Rashada was a four-star recruit, and the Canes really were desperate for a messiah at QB back then. So that does add up. Alas, almost 1 year after initially being filed, we are now privy to when the case is getting heard in court.

“According to Mitch Gilfillan, a court date has been set for the lawsuit between Jaden Rashada and Florida head coach Billy Napier. The trial will take place on July 20, 2026, while all depositions must be presented by Oct. 1, 2025,” relayed a report by On3. It sure seems like Rashada and his entourage have a big 5 months or so between now and fall in front of them. Not just because they need to assimilate depositions and evidence. But also because his career is currently at a crossroads. Rashada is preparing to go to his 3rd school this spring. That’s as many teams as games he’s played in college. A highly touted recruit who stood to make millions as a teenager is now proactively seeking a home.

After what happened with Florida, Jaden Rashada enrolled at Arizona State. He started 3 games as a true freshman in 2023, going 44-of-82 for 485 passing yards. To go with 4 TDs and 3 picks. Not great, but not too bad either. However, Sun Devils HC Kenny Dillingham replaced him with Sam Leavitt mid-season. Hmm, wonder how that’s worked out for him 2 years on. A Big 12 championship and CFP appearance later, he’s probably not losing sleep over the decision. As for Rashada, he transferred to Georgia. But after struggling to break through for the Bulldogs, he now traverses the transfer portal again. Rashada seemed to be trending towards Chapel Hill and the UNC Tar Heels, but that notion’s been nipped in the bud.

Jaden Rashada’s advances towards Bill Belichick stopped in their tracks, quite literally

Bill Belichick‘s surprising foray into college football has its proponents and skeptics alike. But the masses are in agreement about a couple of things. Arguably the greatest defensive mind in the history of the sport, Belichick will sort that side of the football for UNC. However, he even needed Tom Brady to win all those championships. UNC doesn’t quite have a standout QB1. Which led to reported interest in Jaden Rashada. He has gone through some turmoil since ’22, but is supremely talented after all. But maybe Belichick and the UNC brass view him as damaged goods. They’re categorically out of the sweepstakes if there are any.

Rashada was poised for an on-campus visit to UNC. However, that’s now off. 247 Sports and CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer reported, “Georgia transfer QB Jaden Rashada is no longer visiting North Carolina.” Despite being the No. 1-rated quarterback in the portal right now, Rashada’s advances have seemingly been thwarted by Bill Belichick and co. Either that or he is already set on a school. But nothing of that sort has hit the airwaves as of yet.

It’s a frustrating school of thought. But you do wonder if the lawsuit and its mental toll have affected Rashada’s ability to quarterback. Because it has almost certainly changed people’s perception of him. Whether that’s fair or not is up for conjecture. The final hearing should clear a lot of the muddled sentiments around him. But before that, you’d hope he can find a team that can cultivate the talent he possesses and bring it to the forefront. As for Billy Napier, he’s more than happy with how his QB situation turned out in retrospect. He’ll just hope he can fend off that lawsuit.