Jaden Rashada signed what was believed to be the biggest NIL deal in history before he committed to Florida in November, and some new details have emerged about the agreement that eventually fell apart.
Rashada committed to Florida under the promise of a four-year name, image and likeness deal with a Gators fan-driven NIL fund. The contract called for him to be paid an eye-popping $13.85 million in total. Stewart Mandel and Andy Staples of The Athletic spoke to people familiar with the deal and got more information about it.
The contract between Rashada and the Gator Collective stated that the five-star quarterback would receive an initial payment of $500,000 on Dec. 5. He then would have been paid $250,000 per month as a freshman, $291,000 per month as a sophomore and $375,000 per month as a junior. If Rashada remained at Florida beyond his junior season, he would have been paid just under $200,000 per month as a senior.
In return, Rashada agreed to fulfill a set of obligations that was not very demanding. The contract stated that he must maintain a residence in Gainesville, Fla. It also called for Rashada to make at least one branded Twitter post and one branded Instagram post per month while appearing at up to eight fan engagement events per year. Rashada was also supposed to autograph 15 pieces of merchandise per year, according to The Athletic.
The contract reportedly contained language that said the Gator Collective can “in its sole and absolute discretion” terminate the agreement “without penalty or further obligation.” Rashada never received the initial $500,000 payment, and the contract was terminated two days after the money was due. Sources told The Athletic that the Gator Collective never received a guarantee in writing from its donor or donors that Rashada’s deal would be covered.
Rashada has since been released from his National Letter of Intent with Florida. He announced his commitment to a new school, Arizona State, last week.
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