Georgia Quarterback Jaden Rashada Files Lawsuit Against Florida Coach And Booster Over Failed $13.8M NIL Deal

Rashada sued Billy Napier, Hugh Hathcock, and Marcus Castro-Walker due to a failed NIL deal

University of Georgia quarterback Jaden Rashada has filed a lawsuit against University of Florida coach, Billy Napier; a booster for the school, Hugh Hathcock; and former football staffer, Marcus Castro-Walker due to a failed NIL (name, image, and likeness) deal that was purportedly worth $13.8 million.

According to CBS Sports, Rashada filed the suit in the Pensacola Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. He alleges that the parties named fraudulently induced him to play for the University of Florida with the alleged deal with no intention of following through on the financial promises.

The lawsuit claims “fraudulent misrepresentation and inducement, aiding and abetting fraud, civil conspiracy to commit fraud, negligent misrepresentation, tortious interference with a business relationship or contract and aiding and abetting tortious interference.”

Last January, after he signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Florida, Rashada asked to be released after the Gator Collective did not honor a deal allegedly offered to him. The collective operated as an independent fundraising group that pays student-athletes through their name, image, and likeness. They initially promised the quarterback $13 million for the four years he would have attended the university.

Rashada had intended to commit to the University of Miami but decided to play at the University of Florida on November 10, 2022. Less than a month later, it appears that the deal fell apart.

“Hathcock (on behalf of himself and Velocity Automotive), Castro-Walker, and Coach Napier orchestrated and executed a fraud upon Jaden and were substantially and knowingly assisted by one another in carrying out the fraud,” the lawsuit states. “Each of their individual schemes would not have succeeded without assistance from one another.”

The lawsuit alleges that due to the actions of the collective, Rashada suffered the loss of his $9.5 million NIL deal with Miami and other collective-sponsored NIL compensation. He is also seeking punitive damages.