The recruiting saga of four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada came to a close when he signed with Arizona State last week.
Rashada had previously flipped from Miami (Fla.) to the University of Florida in November before signing with the Gators in December. Rashada also reportedly agreed to a massive NIL deal with the Gator Collective, a Florida booster group not affiliated with the school’s athletic department.
At the time, it was reported that Rashada’s NIL contract was worth north of $13 million. A new in-depth feature in The Athletic says the total sum was $13.85 million, to be paid out over four years.
According to The Athletic, Rashada was to receive $500,000 of that total up front, with payments ranging from $250,000 a month as a freshman, to $291,666.66 a month as a sophomore, to $375,000 a month as a junior and finally $195,833.33 as a senior as long as the QB fulfilled a number of requirements.
There was one problem for Rashada. The Gator Collective reserved the right to terminate the agreement “without penalty or further obligation” at its discretion.
When they did that, Rashada was left looking elsewhere for his college home. Thankfully, he found it at Arizona State.
The entire piece from The Athletic is worth a read, as it details how Rashada’s recruitment and the role NIL played in it spiraled out of control, but not at the behest of the player himself.
The adults in Rashada’s life, whether through ignorance or malice, put him in a bad spot. Hopefully, he’s able to put all of that aside as he begins his career with the Sun Devils.
