A federal judge has ruled that former Floridaquarterback Jaden Rashada’s lawsuit against head coach Billy Napier and others will proceed to the discovery phase, marking a major development in one of the most talked-about NIL-related legal battles to date.
The ruling came down Tuesday from Judge M. Casey Rodgers of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, reports from On3 shared. While the judge dismissed a few specific claims — including tortious interference and a conspiracy count alleging a boycott scheme — the main accusations are sticking around. That means Rashada’s claims of fraudulent misrepresentation, inducement, conspiracy to commit fraud, and negligent misrepresentation will now be explored more fully as the case moves forward.
At the center of the case is a jaw-dropping $13.85 million name, image, and likeness deal that Rashada claims convinced him to flip his commitment from Miami to Florida in late 2022. According to the lawsuit, promises made by Florida representatives and boosters allegedly lured the quarterback “under false pretenses,” only for those promises to fall apart, leaving Rashada without a team.
Rashada, who initially signed with Florida, was eventually released from his NLI after the NIL deal collapsed. Ultimately, he elected to transfer from Florida and enrolled at Arizona State. Then, he transferred to Georgia. Now Rashada is back in the Transfer Portal.
The defendants in the case include Napier, former Florida NIL staffer Marcus Castro-Walker, and well-known Gators booster Hugh Hathcock, as well as Hathcock’s former company, Velocity Automotive. All had previously filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit entirely, but the judge ruled that many of Rashada’s claims were plausible enough to continue into discovery.
While it’s still early in the legal process, the fact that a federal judge is allowing key parts of the case to move forward is interesting. There is no telling how this case will turn out — and we’re not going to try to be legal experts here — but we would imagine that settlement negotiations will eventually occur. Until then, though, this case will continue to move forward.
Rashada recently visited Western Kentucky, but he has yet to announce a commitment to any school as of yet.
