Billy Napier says it is 'not permissible' to comment on specifics of Jaden Rashada fallout

With Florida left in the dust after four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada requested a release from his National Letter of Intent, Billy Napier would like to explain things. Unfortunately, because of current rules regarding NIL, there isn’t much the Gators coach is allowed to say.

Napier was asked to elaborate on the situation in a recent press conference, but couldn’t go into much detail. However, he did offer some opinions on the state of college football and where he believes things are headed with NIL.

“It’s not permissible for me to get specific,” he said. “I think the big thing here as the dust settles, our focus is preparing our team. The group of players that have joined our team. I wish we could get into the specifics, but we’re not allowed to.

“The reality is the current structure of NIL — with third parties being involved, agents being involved, marketing representatives, lawyers, collectives — is very fluid. I think (it’s) a very unique dynamic. We’re living in the time in college athletics that we’ll look back upon. But I think ultimately NIL is a strength for the Gators. I’m very pleased with where we’re at relative to our current players — all athletes — and what we’ve been able to get accomplished in a short amount of time.”

Napier went on to express his frustrations with the current state of NIL. The Gators coach said that the rules have “all the bad things” with “none of the good things.” However, he added that he believes things will get better with more time, as this change took place only two seasons ago.

“I think every college football coach in America would tell you they’re frustrated,” Napier said. “We’re living in a fluid dynamic. There’s a lot of good things about NIL, but I think the combination of NIL and the portal creates a dynamic. You’ve got all the bad things about the NIL but none of the good things. We’re all aware of the issues of the parameters that we’re competing in. I think as time goes, the market will settle down.”

Jaden Rashada signed with Billy Napier and the Gators during the early signing period in December. However, he didn’t arrive on campus with Florida’s other early enrollees, and speculation began about his whereabouts. The Orlando Sentinel reported that the holdup was due to an issue with Rashada’s NIL deal, which was reportedly in the range of $13 million over four years.

The No. 64 overall prospect and No. 7 quarterback in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, Rashada signed with Arizona State on Wednesday after being released from Florida.

The debacle was raises questions about the role NIL plays in recruiting, though schools are technically not permitted to directly offer high school players deals. However, with most schools having at least one collective set up for NIL, there are clearly ways around this.

Napier hopes to move on from the Rashada incident, heading into the 2023 season with high hopes after a 6-7 finish in his inaugural season. Even without Rashada, the Gators signed the No. 11 class according to On3’s Consensus Team Rankings.