Billy Napier’s got a lot on his plate these days. Between gearing up for the SEC season and dealing with a lawsuit, things are getting hectic for the Gators coach.

This May, Georgia’s quarterback Jaden Rashada, sued Napier over a failed NIL deal. Rashada originally had a sweet deal with the Miami Hurricanes for $9.5 million. But then, Napier’s team swooped in and offered him an even bigger deal – a whopping $13.85 million over four years with the Gator Collective.

Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it was. Rashada never saw a dime of that promised fortune, except for a measly $150,000 to pay back a Miami booster. Feeling like he got played, Rashada bounced from Florida altogether and filed a case against Napier & Co. Now, Napier’s lawyers are fighting back hard. They say the whole lawsuit is bogus because there’s no proof Napier even knew about this crazy NIL deal. They also point out that Rashada had already ditched the Miami deal before Napier supposedly got involved.

As per On3 NIL, the motion clearly states. “The timing of the events alleged in the complaint shows that Napier could not have ‘fraudulently induce[d] Jaden to abandon his $9.5 million Miami deal.” Thus according to them, “the complaint fails to state a claim against Napier.”

Napier’s lawyers are also poking even more holes in the lawsuit. They say it’s unclear how Rashada even found out about Napier’s supposed promise. The lawsuit doesn’t say if Rashada’s dad ever told him about it, only that the dad told some NIL agents. Now, this is a big deal for Napier’s team, because if Rashada never even heard the promise, well, then there’s not much of a case, right?

Amidst this, what are the possible risks on both sides?

Big stakes for Jaden Rashada and Billy Napier

Now, this lawsuit could cast a shadow over Jaden Rashada’s promising future, though. If he loses the case, his reputation as a trustworthy player could take a hit. NFL teams might be wary of the legal baggage, even if he’s talented. This could affect where he gets drafted and his overall NFL career shortly. 

For Billy Napier, the stakes are just as high. Fans were already unhappy with the Gators‘ performance under his leadership – two losing seasons [11-16 overall] in a row isn’t a recipe for success. If Rashada wins the lawsuit and the court finds Napier at fault, it could spell the end of Napier’s coaching career at Florida. Noting that CFB analyst Blain Crain said back in May, “I think it’s good for Florida. I think this opens the door for you to fire Billy Napier in the upcoming games.” 

Even a legal victory for Napier wouldn’t be a clean win. The whole situation could hurt his reputation and make it harder to get top recruits in the future. Thus, big troubles are ahead for both Rashada and Napier!