Gator Bait: Kirby Smart gave Jaden Rashada the green light for Florida lawsuit, per report

For as much as Steve Spurrier hated Georgia, Kirby Smart hates Florida. As if we needed another interesting wrinkle in the rivalry that was once known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, Smart added gas to the flames burning off an absolutely furious Jaden Rashada. Rashada, who spent last year at his father's alma mater of Arizona State, decided to sue key Florida people of some NIL.

This lawsuit has everything to to with the some $14 million Rashada was promised if he signed with Florida. The Gators backed out of the agreement early last spring before eventually letting Rashada of out of his NLI. Rashada is not suing the university, but rather head coach Billy Napier, former Gators staff member Marcus Castro-Walker and big Florida booster and automotive dealer Hugh Hathcock.

Even more complicated, Rashada apparently got Smart's blessing to go ahead and file the lawsuit.

Here is what John Talty reported on the matter over on CBS Sports. We are so living in a simulation.

“Rashada informed Georgia coach Kirby Smart of his intention to file the lawsuit, according to sources, and Smart gave his blessing. It makes sense Rashada disclosed the matter to Smart because the issue could end up becoming a distraction for Georgia this fall."

Rashada's path to Georgia was unconventional, but he will serve as Carson Beck's backup this season and competing for the No. 2 job with Gunner Stockton. For those who don't remember, Rashada was initially committed to Miami before empty promises of NIL money came to the table from Florida. He flipped, committed there, but never saw a dime of what he had been promised.

The gap between Georgia and Florida has never felt this wide on either side of the heated rivalry.

Kirby Smart gave Jaden Rashada his blessing regarding his Florida lawsuit

While you may not like what has morphed into, you have to feel for Rashada getting caught in a bad situation. That was generational wealth being promised to his family, so long as he complied with all that the Florida football team and the corresponding collective asked of him. He held up his end of the bargain, only to have the rug pulled out from under him. This is the worst thing to happen in NIL.

I may be slightly biased because Rashada now plays at my alma mater, but if he was playing for any other team, or just stayed at Arizona State, I would have no problem with him going forward with his lawsuit. $13.85 million would change the trajectory of my life and my closest family. I cannot even imagine what that must have been like to find out that recruiting pitch was chock full of fool's gold.

Smart having Rashada's back in this is even more evidence that he is a tremendous players' coach. He may be incredibly demanding of his guys, but he is always looking out for his players' best interests. The fact that Smart's least favorite team in the world did wrong by one of his highly touted backup quarterbacks makes this situation even stranger than fiction. I don't know how Billy Napier survives.

For now, Rashada needs to let the lawyers go to work, as he prepares for his second college season.