Florida coach Billy Napier comments on Jaden Rashada's NIL lawsuit

Billy Napier has responded to the lawsuit filed by former Florida signee Jaden Rashada.

“I’m comfortable with my actions,” Napier said Tuesday at SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, according to On3’s Jesse Simonton. “‘I’m thankful for the university’s support and we’re going to keep it at that and let the process take it’s course.”

The Gators head coach was named a defendant in the lawsuit filed Tuesday morning in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida that claims Rashada was repeatedly lied to for him to flip his commitment from Miami to Florida. Among the allegations, the suit states Napier promised Rashada $1 million if the quarterback signed his National Letter of Intent on early National Signing Day in 2022.

Former Florida director of NIL and player engagement Marcus Castro-Walker and booster Hugh Hathcock were also named as defendants in the suit. Hathcock’s former company, Velocity Automotive, was named, too.

Jaden Rashada’s first payment of his four-year, $13.85 million deal was scheduled for Dec. 5, 2022, in the amount of $500,000 – a signing bonus, sources previously told On3. That payment never materialized, despite multiple reassurances, according to the case. On Dec. 6, the day after the bonus was due, the Gator Collective terminated the contract in a letter sent to Rashada, sources told On3. 

On early National Signing Day on Dec. 21, 2022, the quarterback had still not received a payment, according to the case. Rashada delayed the signature of his National Letter of Intent. 

“These actions culminated with Coach Napier himself vouching that UF alumni were good on their promise that Jaden would receive $1 million if he signed with UF on National Signing Day,” the complaint states. “Defendant Castro-Walker leveraged the coach’s promise that Napier would ‘get it done,’ and threatened – on National Signing Day – that, if Jaden did not sign a national letter of intent with UF, Coach Napier might walk away from Jaden entirely.”

Billy Napier enters a pivotal year for his future at Florida. The head coach is 11–14 in two seasons in Gainesville, with a 6–10 mark in the SEC. The Gators have been agressive in the transfer portal this spring, adding

“We do not comment on ongoing litigation, and neither the University Athletic Association nor the University are named in the complaint,” Florida athletic department spokesman Steve McClain told On3 on Tuesday regarding Rashada’s lawsuit against Napier. “The UAA will provide for Coach Napier’s personal counsel, and we will direct all questions to those representatives.”

Case states Billy Napier, defendants ‘defrauded’ Rashada

According to the lawsuit, the four defendants defrauded the quarterback by “falsely promising” the $13.85 million contract when knowing the agreement would not be fulfilled and “neither they nor Hathcock had any intention of fulfilling it.” The complaint also cites false statements that were allegedly made to Rashada, including the $1 million payout he would receive for signing the National Letter of Intent.

Among the counts against the defendants are aiding and abetting fraud. For the fraud to be executed, the complaint argues, Castro-Walker, Hathcock and Napier were “substantially and knowingly assisted by one another.”

“The purpose of these promises was obviously – and indisputably – to induce Jaden to change universities and football programs,” the complaint states. 

The defendants also allegedly committed tortious interference by interfering with the $9.5 million contract Rashada signed with Miami booster John Ruiz and the quarterback’s business relationships at Miami. Castro-Walker, Hathcock and Napier did so knowing they could not fulfill their $13.85 million promise, per the filing. Because of these actions, the case states Rashada suffered a financial loss, according to the complaint. 

For the tortious interference to happen, the defendants had to aid and abet each other, the suit argues. 

“Defendants specifically intended to end Jaden’s agreement and business relationship with Miami for their own personal benefit and to Jaden’s detriment,” the filing states.