QB Jaden Rashada Recaps Florida Gators Visits, Talks Upcoming Decision
Pittsburg (Calif.) quarterback Jaden Rashada's latest flight — he claims to have taken over ten in the last week — landed in Las Vegas, Nev. on Friday evening, as the 2023 signal-caller was en route to the Overtime 7-on-7 tournament following three official visits since last Friday.
Checking out numerous schools across consecutive days is something Rashada would recommend, as it makes it easier to evaluate the programs in contention.
It's a tough, tiring task, though, which is why Rashada will take some time off after the tournament to further study the schools he's set to choose between on his June 18 commitment date.
Rashada released a top seven of Florida Texas A&M, Oregon, Miami, LSU, Ole Miss and California. But of those seven programs, Rashada's official visits were with the Aggies, Tigers and Gators in that order from June 3-9.
The Rebels got an official visit a bit back in April, although it's worth noting that Ole Miss recently accepted a junior college transfer commitment from Rashada's brother, Roman.
Rashada explained to Sports Illustrated All-American at the tournament why UF has suddenly surged in his recruitment, earning his final official visit (at least, as of now) before his commitment after unofficially hosting the premier passer just under two weeks before.
"They've got a great coaching staff up there [and a] great playing situation, so that's what attracted me there," Rashada admitted. "And then [head] coach [Billy] Napier, you know, he's a pretty good dude, great coach. Yeah, Florida, they've got something pretty good building up there."
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The playing situation, as Rashada noted, is enticing. Starting quarterback Anthony Richardson, although unproven, has played a lot of exciting football in two years for the Gators and is earning significant NFL Draft hype already. With a productive 2022 season, he could declare early and leave Florida without a clear signal-caller entering the 2023 season.
Should Rashada pick Florida, although it isn't ideal for a school to be forced to rely upon a freshman, he'd provide the Gators with an immediate replacement option for Richardson should he head to the pros after his redshirt sophomore campaign.
Rashada, 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, is considered the No. 7 quarterback in the class of 2023 by the On3 Sports consensus rankings. He completed 57 percent of his 256 passes for 2,220 yards, 27 touchdowns and five interceptions in his debut season as a starter in 2021, adding 25 rushing attempts for 193 yards and a score on the ground.
Richardson, who hosted Rashada during the second visit, was able to answer all of the questions Rashada had about Napier and the University of Florida over dinner and during their time hanging out.
"Just connecting with the people and talking football," Rashada said, recalling his highlights from the trip. "That's what's most important."
As for his other most recent officials, Rashada had a lot of praise for the school that kicked things off — Texas A&M — before acknowledging that his LSU trip was similar to the Gainesville trek thanks to his tight-knit relationship with the Tigers' coaching staff.
"It was real good. They got something pretty good building out there," Rashada said of the Aggies. "And, you know, maybe they're a trigger-man away, but they made a real good impression on me and my family. That was a real good, valuable trip."
Now, a week before he's scheduled to officialize his commitment, Rashada intends to take some time to further assess each program. That could, potentially, lead him to push his announcement back, and although it isn't likely, he wouldn't completely rule out using his final official visit before making his decision.
"Yeah, should be [June 18]," Rashada confirmed regarding his pledge date. "But if not, I'll push it back."
What could push Rashada to push the date back, if that were to happen?
"You know, just time to think about stuff," he admitted. "That's all, that's really it. I'm trying to make the best decision of my life."
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