Florida Gators coach Billy Napier among trio seeking dismissal of Jaden Rashada’s NIL lawsuit

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Image Credit: Maddie Washburn, UAA

In an expected move, Florida Gators coach Billy Napier, mega-booster Hugh Hathcock and former staff member Marcus Castro-Walker are seeking a dismissal for a lawsuit filed by former signee Jaden Rashada over his NIL agreement with a program-affiliated collective. Lawyers for each potential defendant have signaled have or will file motions to not head to trial over the accusations.

247Sports and On3 first reported the dismissal requests stemming from a statement issued from the attorney for Castro-Walker.

Rashada’s lawsuit, filed in federal court, named all three men but neither the University Athletic Association nor the University of Florida itself. The claim is that the now-Georgia quarterback was defrauded out of $13.85 million after agreeing to an NIL deal that was rescinded before he signed a National Letter of Intent with UF on Dec. 21, 2022.

The wide-ranging lawsuit has a clear intention to extract as much money as possible from those named despite claims within the document that the goal is to hold the system at large accountable. However, many of the claims within the lawsuit do not appear to have tangible proof behind them, and Napier is most notably named in reference to a verbal conversation the parties had as Rashada was deciding whether to sign with the Gators.

“It is common for a plaintiff’s attorney to include a notable name or multi-million dollar company in a lawsuit in hopes of making headlines and subsequently reaching a quick settlement,” a prominent Tampa, Florida, based trial attorney who reviewed the Rashada lawsuit told OnlyGators.com under the condition of anonymity back in May. “It’s likely neither side wants this to go to discovery, though the document is relatively thin — particularly when it comes to Napier’s involvement — for such a [law]suit, especially of this amount.”

Rashada’s side states that he committed to Miami after agreeing to a $9.5 million NIL deal. Florida allegedly came back with an $11 million offer, but when that did not sway Rashada, boosters — notably mega-donor Hugh Hathcock — eventually increased it to $13.85 million. The base-level claim of the lawsuit is that Hathcock, Napier and other Gators staff conspired from the beginning to get Rashada to sign with the university despite having no initial intention of ever fulfilling the terms of the NIL deal.

This despite Napier clearly wanting Rashada on his roster. Furthermore, Rashada’s NIL deal was neither with the university, Hathcock nor Napier but rather the now-defunct Gator Collective.

Ultimately, Rashada was released from his NLI by Florida less than one month after he signed it, and he transferred to Arizona State. He played three games for the Sun Devils last season and has since transferred to Georgia; Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart reportedly “signed off” on this lawsuit, aware that a player he was recruiting was planning to sue his rival.

Check out the specific claims and allegations made by Rashada in the lawsuit.

Whether Rashada will win his lawsuit will ultimately be up to attorneys and the courts. His allegations do, however, detail what would have been clear violations of constantly changing NCAA rules that are presently unenforceable given the Wild, Wild, West aspect of NIL in college sports these days.

The Gators no longer work with the Gator Collective as their NIL wing. Hathcock continues to donate to Florida and its athletic interests.