Billy Napier Breaks Silence on UGA QB Jaden Rashada's Lawsuit

Florida Gators’ head football coach Billy Napier has made his first public statement since being named in a lawsuit by former signee and current Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jaden Rashada while at the 2024 SEC spring meetings.

“I think it’s important for everybody to understand that I can’t comment due to the litigation, but I do have confidence in our legal team. I am comfortable with my actions, and I’m thankful for the University’s support,” he told reporters. “We’re going to keep it at that and let the process take its course.”

Napier, former UF Director of NIL Marcus Castro-Walker and mega-donor Hugh Hathcock were named as defendants in the suit, which was filed on May 21 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

In it, Rashada and his legal team claim that the three lied and failed to make good on a promised $13.85-million NIL deal that led him to flip his commitment from Miami to Florida. The claim explains that an initial $11 million offer grew to $13.85 million, which was to be paid out over four years.

The money was to initially come from Hathcock and his auto dealership Velocity Automotive as well as the Gator Guard, the mega-booster NIL collective run by Hathcock. However, those plans fell through, and the money was to then come from the Gator Collective.

Prior to Rashada signing with Florida, the Gator Collective sent a letter stating its intentions to terminate the deal, the complaint says. However, Rashada’s lawyers claim Castro-Walker and Napier made promises that the deal would be fulfilled, which never happened.

Allegedly, Rashada only made $150,000 from Hathcock, which was to pay off what he was paid from his previous NIL deal with LifeWallet. from his commitment to Miami. LifeWallet CEO and Miami booster John Ruiz released a statement regarding the current lawsuit.

"LifeWallet nor John H. Ruíz ever had any deal with Rashada that amounted to 9.5-million dollars. LifeWallet had a very small deal with Rashada while he was a big-school student in California. Rashada and his father are stand up individuals. To date, I personally have a very good relationship with both," Ruiz's statement said. "They both know we dealt with them honestly and fairly as we have always done with all NIL players. LifeWallet has a track record of complying with all of its NIL deals. LifeWallet was repaid by those controlling the Gators fundraising efforts. While I have my own view of this matter, at this point the interests of this young man should be the focus."

Rashada was eventually released from his National Letter of Intent and played his first collegiate season at Arizona State. He transferred to Georgia and will be a backup for incumbent Carson Beck this season.

Although not named in the suit, the University Athletic Association previously released a statement pledging its plans to provide for Napier’s legal team.

“We do not comment on the ongoing litigation, and neither the (UAA) nor the University are named in the complaint,” the statement said. “The UAA will provide for Coach Napier’s personal counsel, and we will direct all questions to those representatives.”