Name, image and likeness (NIL) deals have sparked controversy throughout the country in different collegiate sports. The years-long case involving former five-star quarterback Jaden Rashada and Florida football head coach Billy Napier proved to be no different.
On Tuesday, U.S. Northern District of Florida judge M. Casey Rodgers ruled that Rashada’s case against the Florida football recruitment staff and donors can enter the first stage of trial.
In a 40-page order, Judge Rodgers allowed for three fraud-related counts and another count of conspiracy to commit fraud to proceed toward discovery, which means attorneys may begin gathering evidence. Rashada sued Napier and his staff in May over an NIL deal that was never paid out.
While the judge dismissed three counts filed by Rashada, Napier and his staff could still face backlash as the case overcomes its first legal hurdle.
“It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand how a purportedly fraudulent NIL deal initially valued north of $13 million could induce a teenager to choose a university he otherwise would not have,” Rodgers said.
Rashada’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, said he remains optimistic in bringing what he believes to be fraudulent activity from Florida’s staff to light.
“[We] look forward to discovery fully exposing the defendants’ conduct for all to see,” Hardin said.
Hardin also expressed his belief that Rashada’s case would “serve as a North Star” for future athletes who have been falsely promised NIL by D1 football coaches and their recruitment staff.
Since it was put into play on July 1, 2021, NIL has changed the game in college football recruitment. Now, players can make money from their brand. It plays an important role in how high school athletes weigh their options for collegiate athletics.
Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban has criticized NIL numerous times for how it has changed the principles of college coaching. The legendary Crimson Tide coach retired just three years after its introduction.
“It was always about developing players,” Sagan said in a Capitol Hill roundtable on March 12, 2024. “It was always about helping people be more successful in life.”
The Rashada case emerged in the summer of 2022 when the top 100 recruit from California was weighing options for his collegiate career. From June to November, the five-star quarterback was committed to the University of Miami after its staff offered him $9.5 million.
In an effort to lure the talented recruit, Napier, along with Florida NIL director Marcus Castro-Walker and university donor Hugh Hathcock, offered Rashada $13.85 million over four years. The plan worked, and Rashada flipped his commitment to UF.
However, once the payment deadline passed, Rashada claims the Florida staff could not provide him with the money he was promised.
After having his release granted, he transferred to Arizona State for his freshman year, where he faced limited time on the field. After one season, Rashada transferred to Georgia, where he did not play a snap for the Bulldogs.
This past January, he entered the transfer portal for a third time, where he has remained unsigned since.
In May, Rashada sued Napier, Castro-Walker, Hathcock and the latter’s car company. Rodgers has now given the green light for the case to move to discovery.
Rodgers compared the alleged behavior of Napier and his staff to a group of people “marching to the beat of the same drum,” leading Rashada down a path where the money he was promised would never be provided.
However, the judge affirmed that Rashada and his team have to prove their claims.
The next court date hasn’t been set.
Contact Jeffrey Serber at Jserber@alligator.org. Follow him on X @JeffreySerber.
Jeffrey is the Spring 2025 women's tennis beat reporter and a first-year journalism sports & media major. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends and family, and rooting for the Miami sports teams.
