Florida Gators release Jaden Rashada from National Letter of Intent

Pittsburg (Calif.) four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada has been completely released from his National Letter of Intent with the University of Florida.

Rashada verbally requested to be released from his NLI last week. He officially filed the paperwork for the release on Tuesday night. Now that the request has been granted, he is released from any binding ties to Florida and becomes the top unsigned quarterback in the 2023 cycle.

The 6-foot-3.5, 185-pound signal-caller originally signed with the Gators during December’s early signing period and told reporters that he would move to Gainesville after the conclusion of the Under Armour All-America Bowl in early January. However, he didn’t arrive on campus with Florida’s other early enrollees, and speculation began about his whereabouts.

Last week, the Orlando Sentinel reported that the holdup was due to an issue with Rashada’s NIL (name, image and likeness) deal, which was reportedly in the range of $13 million over four years.

Ultimately, the deadline for him to enroll in classes passed, and he opted to ask for a release from his letter of intent.

Where the quarterback goes next is not easy to predict. Arizona State, Colorado, Cal and Washington all appear to be in the mix. After two misses in his recruitment in the state of Florida, staying near home on the West Coast would make sense. 

When he chooses his next school is another unknown. National Signing Day is set for February 1. Enrolling early is off the table at most schools, although Washington operates on the trimester schedule and has a Spring Term beginning on March 27. 

The quarterback could also hold off any decision until this summer, taking time to evaluate his next move.

Rashada is the No. 64 overall prospect and No. 7 quarterback in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 6 player in California.

He has an On3 NIL Valuation of $450K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

Jaden Rashada On3 Scouting Summary

The following is the On3 Scouting Summary for Jaden Rashada:

“Thinner-framed passer with impressive arm talent that keeps his cool when facing pressure. Has the arm strength to drive the ball downfield and into tight windows. Possesses the functional movement skills to escape the pass rush. Three-level passer who has the ability to layer the football. Productive player last season throwing for 2,220 yards and 27 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. Can be inconsistent with his ball placement, but showed flashes of improvement in camp and 7-on-7 settings this spring.

“Should develop quicker processing with more reps in the same offense after playing in three different systems. Played his freshman season at Liberty HS before transferring to IMG Academy for his sophomore season. Transferred back to California and played his junior season at Pittsburg HS. On the older end of the spectrum for quarterbacks in his class. Has the physical tools and arm talent to become the face of an elite-level power five program.”