Jaden Rashada, the highest-rated unsigned quarterback remaining in the 2023 class, committed to Arizona State on National Signing Day.
Rashada's commitment to the Sun Devils ends the long, messy recruitment of the Pittsburg, Calif., native — one that saw him sign with Florida on the promise of a massive NIL deal that ultimately fell through. He subsequently asked for his release from the Gators, opening the door for him to ultimately choose Arizona State.
The quarterback announced his decision to play in Tempe via Twitter, citing the importance of ASU being his childhood dream school and the alma mater of his father, Harlen Rashada:
Forks Up 4L! 🔱🆙! #Home @KennyDillingham pic.twitter.com/lld1QZc3tJ
— Jaden Rashada 5️⃣ (@jadenrashada) February 1, 2023
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Here's everything you need to know about Rashada's commitment to the Sun Devils, and how it was preempted by a failed NIL deal on the part of Florida, who originally signed him:
Why did Jaden Rashada commit to Arizona State?
As the younger Rashada mentioned in his announcement, Arizona State has emotional importance to him and his family. That led him to commit to the Sun Devils, representing a massive recruiting victory for first-year coach Kenny Dillingham.
Rashada, considered the No. 7 quarterback and No. 82 overall player in 247Sports' revamped Composite rankings, is the Sun Devils' only four-star commitment of this class, as well as their only top-100 player. With that, Arizona State's class moved up to the 47th-ranked class of the cycle.
Rashada's commitment to Arizona State followed failed attempts by both Miami and Florida to sign the four-star quarterback, however. In particular, Florida's reported promise of a $13 million NIL deal that ultimately fell through is the biggest factor in Rashada's commitment to Arizona State.
What happened with Rashada's Florida NIL deal?
Per a report from The Athletic, Rashada and Florida's NIL collective — called the Gator Collective — agreed on Nov. 10, 2022 to an NIL deal worth $13 million. After signing the contract, Rashada flipped his commitment from Miami to Florida; he is speculated to have committed to Miami in June on the promise of a $9 million NIL deal with the Hurricanes.
The Athletic reports that, on Dec. 7, 2022 — two weeks before the early signing period — Gator Collective CEO Eddie Rojas sent a termination letter regarding Rashada's contract, with the outlet noting "there are conflicting accounts about why the deal crumbled and who pledged to pay what." The Athletic also reported this was the first time some in the Florida athletic department were made aware of what was promised by the third-party NIL collective.
Rashada still signed with the Gators during the early signing period, and lauded Florida coach Billy Napier as well as his fellow signees at the Under Armour All-America Game. However, he wasn't among the group of early enrollees scheduled to appear at Florida's Gainesville campus.
He eventually asked for a release from his scholarship to Florida on Jan. 17, to which the school agreed. The Athletic again reported that the impetus for his release stemmed from tensions between the Rashada family and the Florida NIL collective over the $13 million contract.
With that, Rashada chose to sign with Arizona State as a legacy recruit. Whether NIL was a factor in his signing in Tempe is unknown.
