Georgia-Florida rivalry adds a Molotov cocktail to the mix with Jaden Rashada lawsuit

On3's Pete Nakos dropped a bombshell on us Tuesday morning. Former Florida recruit and Arizona State quarterback Jaden Rashada is suing Gators head coach Billy Napier, former Florida director of NIL and player engagement Marcus Castro-Walker and a well-known Florida booster Hugh Hathcock for damages resulting in him getting out of NLI with Florida in very early 2023. This is getting so ugly...

Rashada, who most recently transferred to arch rival Georgia, claims to have been led astray in Florida's botched attempt to induce him to come to Gainesville. Florida's reported NIL package, which was a four-year deal worth $13.85 million, played a huge part in the Pittsburg, California native flipping from Miami to Florida during his recruitment out of high school. Another huge loss for Napier.

The legal process will play itself out, but this may go down as the worst fumbling of the bag in college sports since Dwane Casey accidentally spilled open an envelope full of cash at Kentucky some four decades ago. Rashada will be backing up Carson Beck this year at Georgia, competing with Gunner Stockton for playing time in the No. 2 role. He seems to have been caught up in something nefarious.

At this time, the gap between where Georgia is and where Florida now resides has never been wider.

Jaden Rashada suing key members of Florida's staff over NIL damages

Rashada was a four-star recruit coming out of high school in 2023. He was a gotta-have-it prospect for a struggling program like the Gators. Napier was hired to recruit, recruit, recruit, recruit because his predecessor Dan Mullen rarely saw the importance in that. Despite having great success previously at Louisiana, Napier is arguably on the hottest seat in college football entering year three.

Look. I don't know everything about the seedy underbelly of college sports, other than that it is there and it always has been. What I go back to in this situation surrounding Rashada is he was sold a bill of goods from Florida and wanted out as soon as the payments he was promised were reneged on. I get it.

Even though we are only an olympiad into the wonderful world of NIL, the case of Rashada is unlike anything we have seen up to this point. Yes, tons of players have gotten the bag, legally or not. The unfortunate part is this is all we can talk about when it comes to him. The best thing he can do is be a good teammate at Georgia and let the legal process sort itself out. Rashada has a national title to win.

Nakos' reporting may be the straw that breaks the camel's back when it comes to Napier's job status.