Billy Napier is not the most expressive guy, but I'd still love to see the look on the Florida head coach's face if someone told him back on Dec. 22, 2022, that within 18 months he'd be named a defendant in a lawsuit brought by Jaden Rashada.
On second thought, the look on Napier's face might've just been enlightened relief.
For those who missed it, the Pittsburg, Calif., native quarterback who once committed to Miami, signed with Florida, played for Arizona State and transferred to Georgia (again, all within 18 months) is now suing his former head coach.
Rashada's lawsuit argues the quarterback was defrauded when Napier promised $1 million in exchange for signing with Florida, a payment that never came.
Such an agreement would be against the NCAA's rules regarding NIL. Rashada's recruitment has already sparked an NCAA investigation, and now it's landed Napier, along with a Gators booster and others, in the US District Court in the Northern District of Florida.
"Sadly, unethical and illegal tactics like this are more and more commonplace in the Wild West that is today's college football landscape," the lawsuit states. "As the first scholar-athlete to take a stand against such egregious behavior by adults who should know better, Jaden seeks to hold Defendants accountable for their actions and to expose the unchecked abuse of power that they shamelessly wielded."
Napier was asked about the lawsuit at SEC spring meetings on Tuesday and did the ol' no-comment comment.
"I can't comment on specifics due to the litigation. But we’re very confident in our legal team, very comfortable with my actions and very appreciative of the university’s support," Napier said, via ESPN.
Rashada is now at Georgia, and earlier this week the SEC commissioner was asked about one of his conference's quarterbacks suing a rival coach.
“I’m not a fan of lawsuits,” Greg Sankey said. “That’s what I think. It’s not the only lawsuit involving a coach in the last year. It won’t be the last. We have a legal system and people have a right to pursue whatever they view as grievances.”
It will be interesting to see what happens first: Rashada's lawsuit reaches a conclusion or he throws a touchdown pass against his former team.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.