It’s at all times humorous to me when a sportswriter says LeBron James or Steph Curry could be price double or triple on the free market. While that could be true, that’s not actuality. The wage cap is the truth, and so they’ll have to just accept the $40 million wage they’re presently incomes. The similar goes for Florida QB recruit Jaden Rashada, who was quoted $13 million in NIL offers by a collective in Gainesville. The actuality was a lot much less, and now Rashada has requested to be launched from his scholarship.
This is kind of chaos as traditional within the period of NIL offers. We assume they’re this large boon for recruiters and unpaid student-athletes. It’s simply not as profitable as you’d assume. Former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young allegedly made $800,000 in NIL offers earlier than even taking a snap for the Tide, and that’d make me extraordinarily leery if I used to be Rashada. The Heisman winner didn’t clear seven figures when he was in Rashada’s place, so alarms ought to’ve gone off when some figurehead on the UF collective threw out that absurd quantity.
Who advised him $13 million? Joe Burrow doesn’t even make that on his rookie take care of the Cincinnati Bengals, and he’s been to a Super Bowl. There’s no means in hell — or central Florida — {that a} highschool recruit whose final identify isn’t Manning is displaying up on campus and getting an eight-figure NIL deal.
Speaking of Arch Manning, his NIL valuation was put at $3.5 million, in line with experiences, and that’s one other crimson flag for Rashada. There are No. 1 total recruits, after which there are Mannings, and regardless that the latter wasn’t the highest prospect in his class, he’s obtained sufficient identify recognition and household connections to point out up in a Caesars Sportsbook advert alongside his uncles. (Though Arch remains to be just a few years away from with the ability to legally present up at a on line casino.)
It’s like when my girlfriend Googled just a few of my baseball playing cards, and the web advised her they have been price hundreds. I want there was a payoff for lugging these round to 4 totally different states, however alas, it was not meant to be.
G/O Media could get a fee
Up to $100 credit
Samsung Reserve
Reserve the next gen Samsung device
All you need to do is sign up with your email and boom: credit for your preorder on a new Samsung device.
So what are Florida’s options under center?
The Gators are now in the unenviable position of scrambling for a starting QB. Rashada was the highest-ranked player in Florida’s 2023 recruiting class, and now it’ll be up to whoever wins the battle between Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz, Ohio State transfer Jack Miller, and sophomore Max Brown. Mertz made Badgers fans’ eyes bleed for years in Madison, and the other two haven’t seen a ton of snaps.
There have been rumors of Florida turning to the transfer portal, but most of the viable options have already picked a new school, and the official NCAA transfer window closed today. Rashada is sure to get more than enough hate messages for a decision that was the result of a collective failing to deliver on a promise.
So Florida fans, please, think before you inundate an 18-year-old with grievances and insults because he’s not entirely to blame.
Who’s the leader to land Rashada?
Prior to committing to Florida, the No. 6 quarterback recruit in the country appeared to be on his way to Coral Gables and the University of Miami, and it looks like that’s where he could ultimately end up. Current ‘Canes QB Tyler Van Dyke took a step back this season under new head coach Mario Cristobal, but he remains with the team.
However, the U’s other QB who saw playing time in 2022, Jake Garcia, entered the transfer portal this week, and considering how shaky Van Dyke was last year, the competition for the starting spot is likely wide open. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Garcia’s decision was a direct response to Rashada asking out of his scholarship.
No word on how much Rashada is worth on the NIL market in South Florida, but hopefully he’ll be a tad more skeptical the next time a collective comes to him with a massive valuation.