Florida Gators respond after Jaden Rashada sues football coach Billy Napier, others

Jaden Rashada has filed a major lawsuit against Florida Gators football coach Billy Napier, and now the school has responded.

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier collars at the officials during first half action as Florida takes on Florida State at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jaden Rashada filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging fraud against Florida football coach Billy Napier and others, claiming that they lied to him in an effort to flip his commitment to the Gators, and now the school has responded.

Florida athletic department spokesman Steve McClain reacted with a statement on the matter.

"We do not comment on ongoing litigation, and neither the University Athletic Association nor the University are named in the complaint," McClain said, via On3 Sports.

He added: "The UAA will provide for Coach Napier's personal counsel, and we will direct all questions to those representatives."

Rashada is suing Napier, Gators recruiting staffer Marcus Castro-Walker, Florida donor Hugh Hathcock, and Velocity Automotive, the firm Hathcock sold last year.

In the suit, Rashada alleges fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent inducement, aiding and abetting fraud, civil conspiracy to fraud, negligent misrepresentations, tortious interference, aiding and betting tortious interference, and vicarious liability.

Rashada was a highly-touted four-star quarterback prospect in the 2023 football recruiting cycle, initially committing to the Miami Hurricanes in the summer of 2022.

But that November, the quarterback signed a contract with The Gator Collective, which promised what insiders estimated was just under $14 million to him over his college football career.

Rashada flipped his commitment from Miami to Florida the next day, but just over a month later, The Gator Collective terminated its contract with the player.

The quarterback's lawsuit claims that Hathcock never intended to make the payment. and that everyone involved in the process, including Napier, knew that.

Florida officially released Rashada from his National Letter of Intent on Jan. 20, 2023.

From there, the quarterback landed at Arizona State, where he played in three games last season after being limited with an injury.

He entered the transfer portal after the season and pledged to Georgia in April.

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