Jaden Rashada Settles NIL Lawsuit Against Billy Napier

Former Florida quarterback  Jaden Rashada reached a settlement in his Name, Image, and Likeness lawsuit against former Florida coach Billy Napier and Gators booster Hugh Hatchcock, according to court documents and media reports.  

Rustin Hardin, who served as Rashada’s attorney throughout the case, said the terms of the agreement would not be disclosed. Napier had been scheduled to be deposed in the same week the parties settled. 

“He made the point he wanted to make, and now he’s ready to go play football,” Hardin told ESPN last Tuesday. 

In May 2024, Rashada sued Napier and Hatchcock, claiming they defrauded him of a four-year contract worth $13.85 million. The lawsuit also named former Florida staffer Marcus Castro-Walker and Hatchcock’s former company, Velocity Automotive.  

The lawsuit was one of  the first legal disputes in an era of paid college athletes, quickly becoming one of the largest and most closely watched NIL cases to date. Academic experts at the time described it as a turning point for how future recruiting contracts would be treated and enforced. 

“This is the first — it won’t be the last,” Michael LeRoy, a professor of labor and employee reactions at the University of Illinois College of Law, said when the lawsuit was filed. 

“I think the very fact he (Rashada) has filed a lawsuit already sets a precedent,” LeRoy added. 

Velocity Automotive was expected to help fund the NIL package that influenced Rashada’s decision to flip his commitment from the Miami Hurricanes to the Florida Gators in November of 2022, according to the lawsuit. Rashada later signed with the Gators, but the alleged contract was never honored, and he was released from his NIL. 

For the 2026 season, Rashada signed with the Mississippi State Bulldogs after making stops at Arizona State, Georgia and Sacramento State. 

Florida fired Napier last October after going 22-23 in four seasons with the Gators. He was hired in December as the coach at James Madison. 

Florida enters the 2026 season under the direction of coach Jon Sumrall and continues to reshape its roster, including the addition of quarterback Aaron Philo, who transferred from Georgia Tech after starting as a freshman in 2024.

Category: College Football, Football, Gators Football, Not Latest, Recruiting