| Twitter According to multiple reports, Florida’s five-star quarterback Jaden Rashada has requested to be released from his National Letter of Intent.
Florida is expected to release the player, allowing Rashada to enroll at another school and play as a true freshman in the 2023 season.
The request is the latest twist in the California native’s dramatic recruiting journey.
Rashada chose Miami over finalists Florida and LSU, among others, in June, but switched to the Gators in November.
He then signed his NLI in November during the early signing period, but the relationship between the player and the school quickly soured.
Is it the NIL deal’s fault?
According to recent reports, Rashada and Florida’s relationship ended due to a NIL deal with the school’s collective.
Rashada requested a release from his letter of intent with the school, according to On3, but the player’s father refuted those rumors, stating that his son’s commitment to Florida remained formally in place.
However, subsequent reporting claimed that Rashada believed his NIL deal would not be honored, an agreement valued at up to $13 million by insiders.
According to sources, Rashada did not request his release sooner because of his positive relationship with Gators football coach Billy Napier.
What does it mean for Florida?
Now that Rashada is unlikely to suit up for the Gators to begin the 2023 season, Graham Mertz should all but formally succeed Anthony Richardson as the team’s starting quarterback.
Mertz transferred from Wisconsin to Florida this offseason, with two years of eligibility remaining.
During his Big Ten career, the former Badgers quarterback accumulated 5,405 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions.
Former four-star prospect and Ohio State transfer Jack Miller is also on the depth chart. He made his first collegiate start for the Gators in the Las Vegas Bowl, where the offense failed to score.
Max Brown, a three-star recruit, is an additional piece for Florida at the position, but he saw no game action as a true freshman this season.
What is Jaden Rashada’s next project?
Rashada, a consensus five-star recruit in the 2023 football recruiting class, was ranked as the nation’s No. 6 quarterback and No. 29 overall player by the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
So he shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a school that’s interested in signing him.
Original finalists for the quarterback position included LSU, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss.
“[Rashada] has a frame and build that can add plenty of weight and strength,” said 247Sports recruiting analyst Chris Singletary of the player.
“In the pocket, he stands tall and has the mobility to avoid the rush and buy time to make plays under pressure. Poised and does a good job of making off-platform plays, “He made a note of it.
Rashada “gets the ball out quickly, generating power from his lower body to have the ball snap out of his hand,” according to Singletary.
(247)
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