Arizona State quarterback Jaden Rashada has accidentally become the poster child for NIL over the past few weeks. The former Florida signee requested out of his national letter of intent after a rumored agreement with a company fell through.
Rashada and Florida worked to find a solution, but ultimately the damage was insurmountable. He reopened his recruitment and found a new home with the Sun Devils, but not without drama.
Rumors surfaced that Rashada's deal carried a valuation of $13.5 million, an unprecedented number that many laughed off. However, The Athletic released a column on Monday contextualizing the agreement and sharing exact details.
Andy Staples reported that the deal came in at $13.85 million with stipulations Rashada had to meet to reach incentives. The contract is unprecedented as far as NIL goes; the highest rumored agreements to date have been $8 million.
While Rashada is an excellent prospect with NFL upside, he's ranked outside the top 150 on two recruiting services. Those sites may be wrong in their evaluations, but he isn't a consensus five-star recruit with an enormous platform.
The class of 2023 featured two prospects expected to command millions: Bronny James and Arch Manning. Again, while those two have professional ceilings and are top players, much of that value comes from their last names.
Therefore, we may have our first public example of a high schooler with no celebrity relatives commanding millions. Several insiders vetted this Athletic piece, meaning it is the first time a national outlet has named a recruit when discussing massive NIL numbers.
Granted, Rashada is a quarterback, which makes him more valuable than an interior lineman. If he becomes a high-impact starter in a P5 conference, he will make that and more for his program.
This agreement could completely change the dynamic of recruiting relationships. The 2024 recruiting class has seven quarterbacks that carry the "five-star" label on at least one recruiting service; who's to say they don't ask for a figure like that?
The prevailing story is that there is now a number. NIL has been an under-the-table business since it became legalized; now, it is more and more in the open.
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