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Florida Gators 2023 Recruiting Class
- Thread starter Escambia94
- Start date
Steady pick ups thankfully ongoing from transfer portal...BUT:
HAS ANYONE HEARD ANTHING AS TO WHAT IS BEHIND THIS RASHADA "NO-SHOW"??!
I have read and heard all kinds of stories, versions of various explanations--and the most we actually seem to know right now is that thus won't have any actual effect on our class unless/until we get to FRIDAY (this week), at which point, if he doesn't sign his commitment by then, he will not be eligible for participation with the team this spring.
Of course, if he isn't COMING for some reason (again, I don't care to join in the supposition, the big media "Guessing Game", at this point), that's the general idea and the "WHY"s cease to be of much real interest to me if they cannot somehow be reversed.
Frankly, if this is the case of another coddled athlete head-case's holding some outsized view of his own importance and value up as leverage for more NIL money-up-front, or just the latest variation in an ongoing back and forth regarding who they are listening to THIS week, I am SICK OF IT! I want to see us go after talented prospects (ESPECIALLY 5-star QBs) aggressively, compete strongly to land and keep them, but there is a certain value in Character, and one's sense of honor and commitment.
The fact is, we don't know that that is what is occurring here; indeed, so far we don't really know ANYTHING--that's the point here. It's just that the long months of previous news and events have our nerves and sense of pessimistic foreboding rubbed raw by now. We HEAR whispers of "transcript problems" of some sort of "snag with the NIL deal" and, having seen it all, everywhere before, we cannot help but groan, "Here we go again!"
But for the moment, I am TRYING to reserve judgment.
If ANYONE has any FACTS, please share them.
HAS ANYONE HEARD ANTHING AS TO WHAT IS BEHIND THIS RASHADA "NO-SHOW"??!
I have read and heard all kinds of stories, versions of various explanations--and the most we actually seem to know right now is that thus won't have any actual effect on our class unless/until we get to FRIDAY (this week), at which point, if he doesn't sign his commitment by then, he will not be eligible for participation with the team this spring.
Of course, if he isn't COMING for some reason (again, I don't care to join in the supposition, the big media "Guessing Game", at this point), that's the general idea and the "WHY"s cease to be of much real interest to me if they cannot somehow be reversed.
Frankly, if this is the case of another coddled athlete head-case's holding some outsized view of his own importance and value up as leverage for more NIL money-up-front, or just the latest variation in an ongoing back and forth regarding who they are listening to THIS week, I am SICK OF IT! I want to see us go after talented prospects (ESPECIALLY 5-star QBs) aggressively, compete strongly to land and keep them, but there is a certain value in Character, and one's sense of honor and commitment.
The fact is, we don't know that that is what is occurring here; indeed, so far we don't really know ANYTHING--that's the point here. It's just that the long months of previous news and events have our nerves and sense of pessimistic foreboding rubbed raw by now. We HEAR whispers of "transcript problems" of some sort of "snag with the NIL deal" and, having seen it all, everywhere before, we cannot help but groan, "Here we go again!"
But for the moment, I am TRYING to reserve judgment.
If ANYONE has any FACTS, please share them.
All we have are rumors:
- Supposedly there is an issue with his NIL deal
- A friend messaged me and thinks this will be resolved by Friday. (I do not know his sources, but he is just as accurate or inaccurate at guessing these things as paid sites like On3.)
On3 mistakenly reported that Jaden Rashada has requested release from his National Letter of Intent (NLI). Rashada has until Friday to report to class unless he intends to report in the summer. On3 and 247Sports issued corrections to their stories upon hearing updates from Jaden’s father.
Yes...That ON3 report was just ONE of several different online announcements that fueled my growing confusion/disgust. I for one chose NOT to specifically repeat it at the time--and sure enough, it apparently turns out to be bogus (um, excuse me: "mistaken/"fabricated"?).
Let's see what actually HAPPENS here--though admittedly you can't always go by what a parent is saying "back channel" either.
I sure wish there was some frank and open discussion if there WERE a problem of some kind--but clearly, given the current "transitional changes" in college football, that is just too much to ask.
The very fact that there ISN'T, at this point, and this "suspended vacuum of indecision" and lack of closure indeed continues, all only heightens for us the feeling that it has once again turned sour somehow. That, plus a lack of word of any kind from Rashada himself does not bode well, it would seem.
But that "logical deduction" is all we've really got.
Hope it is somehow mistaken, or at least still solvable, but each hour that goes by, and certainly each DAY, would appear to take us ominously closer to a disappointing resolution.
(The trolls are LOVING this Rashada thing, btw...
That Miami dick-with-the-man-bun whose little daily dreck-fests for some reason YouTube insists on including among "Gator pod casts" for example, and others are STILL running with Nakos' claims on On3 a day later, despite Rashada's dad's statement to the contrary...I don't know what to make of ANY of it at this point. Still hoping for it to blow over--but somehow there's that sinking feeling in my gut.
Yes, maybe we can at least hold onto DJ Lagway--maybe HE is a part of what's gripping Rashada, which would be a whole problem of its OWN, a further shadow in the background when this supposed NIL "problem" arose (there is talk of some sort of "shadiness" among some moves by folks connected to that part of all things Gator, with possibly some heads about to roll there...The only actual concrete devopments have to do with the hiring of a Gator grad, supposedly well-versed in these matters, being hired to oversee our NIL program, that being long overdue, announced late Wednesday along with word that "there'll be further changes forthcoming"...so things appear poised to tip in either direction).
That Miami dick-with-the-man-bun whose little daily dreck-fests for some reason YouTube insists on including among "Gator pod casts" for example, and others are STILL running with Nakos' claims on On3 a day later, despite Rashada's dad's statement to the contrary...I don't know what to make of ANY of it at this point. Still hoping for it to blow over--but somehow there's that sinking feeling in my gut.
Yes, maybe we can at least hold onto DJ Lagway--maybe HE is a part of what's gripping Rashada, which would be a whole problem of its OWN, a further shadow in the background when this supposed NIL "problem" arose (there is talk of some sort of "shadiness" among some moves by folks connected to that part of all things Gator, with possibly some heads about to roll there...The only actual concrete devopments have to do with the hiring of a Gator grad, supposedly well-versed in these matters, being hired to oversee our NIL program, that being long overdue, announced late Wednesday along with word that "there'll be further changes forthcoming"...so things appear poised to tip in either direction).
Early Friday (01/13/23):
I have made a slew of calls, pushed every Gator-button I've got trying to get the inside word on all of this--and I HAVE made headway...only, though from credible folks, it is all still conditional/"off the record", which of course leaves me essentially still "out on a limb and out in the cold".
SO. The best I can do at this point, with time running out on this whole sad deal (literally) is to point y'all to the one public source out there who, as far as I know myself so far, is himself telling more of what is closest to FACT than anyone else out there:
Check out Josh Pate's latest entry on YouTube, posted just scant hours ago on YouTube.
His knowledge, ongoing statements and warnings on this very subject goes all the way back to Rashada's surprising original "last minute choice announcing his commit to Miami" way back last summer, and all that has happened since. We have had an ongoing problem at NIL for MONTHS, one that has cost us multiple times already and FULLY blew up on us here--and Josh has tried to frankly sound the alarm for some time. Now it is apparently being (belatedly) addressed, as I referred to above regarding new people coming in to oversee it all, but it is still unclear whether THIS fiasco is retrievable.
It ain't Billy's fault...it ain't even JADEN'S fault, really (though maybe I could WISH he wanted badly enough to be a Gator to "keep the faith, keep it in-house" somehow).
If it isn't resolved by the time you see this sometime today, just check out that latest from Josh Pate on YouTube...In lieu of me betraying my promise not to spill the well-informed but still 2nd-hand insights shared off-the-record overnight, Josh's pronouncements are, far as I know and am concerned, the most accurate and well-informed musings on all of this.
Sigh. What a mess.
Might be a bigger deal than ever that DJ Lagway is now promising to make an official visit to UF this weekend--and there are even backroom musings on whether he could pick up enough "qualifying credits" between now and the summer to come to Florida a year EARLY, get him in the program for '23 after all.
There was no reason to even consider rushing things til now--but we could be WAY short-handed in the QB-room if Rashada now comes up a no-show.
I have made a slew of calls, pushed every Gator-button I've got trying to get the inside word on all of this--and I HAVE made headway...only, though from credible folks, it is all still conditional/"off the record", which of course leaves me essentially still "out on a limb and out in the cold".
SO. The best I can do at this point, with time running out on this whole sad deal (literally) is to point y'all to the one public source out there who, as far as I know myself so far, is himself telling more of what is closest to FACT than anyone else out there:
Check out Josh Pate's latest entry on YouTube, posted just scant hours ago on YouTube.
His knowledge, ongoing statements and warnings on this very subject goes all the way back to Rashada's surprising original "last minute choice announcing his commit to Miami" way back last summer, and all that has happened since. We have had an ongoing problem at NIL for MONTHS, one that has cost us multiple times already and FULLY blew up on us here--and Josh has tried to frankly sound the alarm for some time. Now it is apparently being (belatedly) addressed, as I referred to above regarding new people coming in to oversee it all, but it is still unclear whether THIS fiasco is retrievable.
It ain't Billy's fault...it ain't even JADEN'S fault, really (though maybe I could WISH he wanted badly enough to be a Gator to "keep the faith, keep it in-house" somehow).
If it isn't resolved by the time you see this sometime today, just check out that latest from Josh Pate on YouTube...In lieu of me betraying my promise not to spill the well-informed but still 2nd-hand insights shared off-the-record overnight, Josh's pronouncements are, far as I know and am concerned, the most accurate and well-informed musings on all of this.
Sigh. What a mess.
Might be a bigger deal than ever that DJ Lagway is now promising to make an official visit to UF this weekend--and there are even backroom musings on whether he could pick up enough "qualifying credits" between now and the summer to come to Florida a year EARLY, get him in the program for '23 after all.
There was no reason to even consider rushing things til now--but we could be WAY short-handed in the QB-room if Rashada now comes up a no-show.
(Later Fri, Jan 13)
Still no Jaden. That On3 "Nakos" post re his asking our AD for a "release from comittment" on Wed, the 11th, has resurfaced and continued to spread online.
I am personally expecting the worst, at this point;
Again, NOT Billy or HIS staff's fault (NIL is separate), BUT SOMEONE or ones in the program ARE responsible for a continued mess there, and now it looks to have really hurt us...and frankly, AGSIN, I am DISGUSTED, do NOT wanna hear excuses from mediocrities dragging the whole program down!
This looks to have far-reaching, detrimental consequences to what was already a long, tough rebuilding job, if it indeed will not be retrieved after all. When Billy finally goes into public "turn-the-page"/"put-the-best-face-on-it" mode you'll know we are all in deep doo-doo here after all.
QB looked to be the one bright spot heading towards the spring; Now it seems about to crater.
I save my disappointment for here...There is already enough hand-wringing over-reaction at large in Gator Nation now as it is. But it all may about to turn out fitting and accurate after all.
Still no Jaden. That On3 "Nakos" post re his asking our AD for a "release from comittment" on Wed, the 11th, has resurfaced and continued to spread online.
I am personally expecting the worst, at this point;
Again, NOT Billy or HIS staff's fault (NIL is separate), BUT SOMEONE or ones in the program ARE responsible for a continued mess there, and now it looks to have really hurt us...and frankly, AGSIN, I am DISGUSTED, do NOT wanna hear excuses from mediocrities dragging the whole program down!
This looks to have far-reaching, detrimental consequences to what was already a long, tough rebuilding job, if it indeed will not be retrieved after all. When Billy finally goes into public "turn-the-page"/"put-the-best-face-on-it" mode you'll know we are all in deep doo-doo here after all.
QB looked to be the one bright spot heading towards the spring; Now it seems about to crater.
I save my disappointment for here...There is already enough hand-wringing over-reaction at large in Gator Nation now as it is. But it all may about to turn out fitting and accurate after all.
So many rumors to sort through. My takeaways:
- Napier and his staff are not at fault
- Rashada and his family are not at fault
- Gator Collective is not at fault
- Gator Guard or boosters independently share the blame
- State laws covering NIL share the blame
- Miami’s collective or boosters share the blame
This issue can still be resolved with Rashada being a Gator in the following ways, although the likelihood is rapidly declining:
- Rashada can register late for spring classes and pay the $100 late fee
- Rashada can report in the summer as recruits used to do normally
More than likely this deal is a bust and he gets released from his letter of intent and we are embarrassed in the news.
- Napier and his staff are not at fault
- Rashada and his family are not at fault
- Gator Collective is not at fault
- Gator Guard or boosters independently share the blame
- State laws covering NIL share the blame
- Miami’s collective or boosters share the blame
This issue can still be resolved with Rashada being a Gator in the following ways, although the likelihood is rapidly declining:
- Rashada can register late for spring classes and pay the $100 late fee
- Rashada can report in the summer as recruits used to do normally
More than likely this deal is a bust and he gets released from his letter of intent and we are embarrassed in the news.
Yes. Sadly, I agree--especially with that last.
But I fear the consequences are worse, more far reaching than you imply.
(Oh--and while boosters who saw their exalted status and influence threatened, and a Gator Guard who it seems jumped the gun and clouded SEVERAL ISSUES completely on their own, lacking neither authority nor the MONEY to do so, together appear at this point to share much of the blame here, there ARE aspects to at the very least the various agents, lawyers and advisers invited in by and now attached to the "Rashada Family Team" ("Lawyers, guns and money! The shit has hit the fan..." like the Warren Zevon song goes) that quickly jumped in and by now have mostly doomed any "calm and fair resolution", I'm afraid.)
But I fear the consequences are worse, more far reaching than you imply.
(Oh--and while boosters who saw their exalted status and influence threatened, and a Gator Guard who it seems jumped the gun and clouded SEVERAL ISSUES completely on their own, lacking neither authority nor the MONEY to do so, together appear at this point to share much of the blame here, there ARE aspects to at the very least the various agents, lawyers and advisers invited in by and now attached to the "Rashada Family Team" ("Lawyers, guns and money! The shit has hit the fan..." like the Warren Zevon song goes) that quickly jumped in and by now have mostly doomed any "calm and fair resolution", I'm afraid.)
Late Monday...Nothing new here, in a situation where "No news is BAD news", btw...
One last thought from me on the matter:
I've come fully around to the idea that given everything, at THIS point it may well be time to "make a virtue of necessity"--Let this one go:
We are better off taking our bad PR (TERRIBLE PR!) and confused back-channel finger pointing, crumple it all up together and toss it on the trash heap of history. Leave it behind.
Get on with things as they ARE, learn our (hard, bitter) lessons and move away as quickly as possible.
Let this kid and his family be someone ELSE'S "boom or bust". Next season was never going to see our sudden resurgence anyway, with or without him--but with hard work, quiet unity and steady-as-she-goes the season after THAT could well manifest as the start of something really special.
We were ALWAYS in at least that deep a hole, and though we may have made it a little more difficult for ourselves, IMHO we are still basically on a similar path, the same schedule.
One last thought from me on the matter:
I've come fully around to the idea that given everything, at THIS point it may well be time to "make a virtue of necessity"--Let this one go:
We are better off taking our bad PR (TERRIBLE PR!) and confused back-channel finger pointing, crumple it all up together and toss it on the trash heap of history. Leave it behind.
Get on with things as they ARE, learn our (hard, bitter) lessons and move away as quickly as possible.
Let this kid and his family be someone ELSE'S "boom or bust". Next season was never going to see our sudden resurgence anyway, with or without him--but with hard work, quiet unity and steady-as-she-goes the season after THAT could well manifest as the start of something really special.
We were ALWAYS in at least that deep a hole, and though we may have made it a little more difficult for ourselves, IMHO we are still basically on a similar path, the same schedule.
Jaden Rashada is no longer a member of the class of 2023.
So he's gone. We should be fine, in the long(er) run...My main concern now is with the impatient, somewhat blind Gator fanbase.
I agree with Greg McElroy's take--that our spoiled, seemingly "entitled" modern Gator fans think this is the "Post-Spurrier Days", that we can reasonably expect double digit wins in Napier's Year 2. But in truth we need to give our Coach time and room to do a full REBUILD.
We WILL be better, and will continue to grow and improve: Eventually I believe we will be a Championship-caliber program once more. But we are still relatively early in the required "period of transition". We can only hope that the administration understands this, always did, and will allow this staff to "stay the course" in the face of what I anticipate will be a certain amount of "back channel static" in the months ahead--all the MORE exacerbated by this whole Rashada deal.
Meanwhile we continue to take a sh*tload of abuse and counterproductive "bad pr". I just tuned in to Finebaum on my way through the dial at lunchtime only to catch even Paul taking shots at Billy Napier for this--mild ones, to be sure, but he is one commentator who should know better...Maybe our Coach DOES "regret" his proud claims some months back of an "advanced Gator Collective", but that doesn't make anything but his positive impression and trust in the kid's, the family's, and the Coach's own NIL colleagues' honor and true intentions mistaken. From what I can tell from the information we have, those are HIS only real "errors" here.
Unlike elsewhere, OUR Coach, at least, appears to have respected and followed the few rules supposedly governing this whole process.
I'd love to hear a frank, first-person account of how all this came about from HIS point-of-view, but we may well never get it. I suppose he is (rightly) taking the stoic attitude that he MUST stay out of it, neither get nor be involved--as Coaches are supposed to do here in the first place.
More than anything, the "Gator perspective" at this point must be to just want to MOVE ON, as I say.
Of course, in my fondest hopes and dreams DJ Lagway is telling our people "Don't worry: I was gonna beat him out and still will BE your QB-of-the-future, regardless...just keep doing what you're doing, building the team we'll need to begin our eventual foundation of a new Championship tradition in Gainesville when I eventually step into the QB-1 role..."--in other words showing the kind of maturity and clear-eyed priorities that this Califofnia family did not.
Well, a guy can dream, right?
I agree with Greg McElroy's take--that our spoiled, seemingly "entitled" modern Gator fans think this is the "Post-Spurrier Days", that we can reasonably expect double digit wins in Napier's Year 2. But in truth we need to give our Coach time and room to do a full REBUILD.
We WILL be better, and will continue to grow and improve: Eventually I believe we will be a Championship-caliber program once more. But we are still relatively early in the required "period of transition". We can only hope that the administration understands this, always did, and will allow this staff to "stay the course" in the face of what I anticipate will be a certain amount of "back channel static" in the months ahead--all the MORE exacerbated by this whole Rashada deal.
Meanwhile we continue to take a sh*tload of abuse and counterproductive "bad pr". I just tuned in to Finebaum on my way through the dial at lunchtime only to catch even Paul taking shots at Billy Napier for this--mild ones, to be sure, but he is one commentator who should know better...Maybe our Coach DOES "regret" his proud claims some months back of an "advanced Gator Collective", but that doesn't make anything but his positive impression and trust in the kid's, the family's, and the Coach's own NIL colleagues' honor and true intentions mistaken. From what I can tell from the information we have, those are HIS only real "errors" here.
Unlike elsewhere, OUR Coach, at least, appears to have respected and followed the few rules supposedly governing this whole process.
I'd love to hear a frank, first-person account of how all this came about from HIS point-of-view, but we may well never get it. I suppose he is (rightly) taking the stoic attitude that he MUST stay out of it, neither get nor be involved--as Coaches are supposed to do here in the first place.
More than anything, the "Gator perspective" at this point must be to just want to MOVE ON, as I say.
Of course, in my fondest hopes and dreams DJ Lagway is telling our people "Don't worry: I was gonna beat him out and still will BE your QB-of-the-future, regardless...just keep doing what you're doing, building the team we'll need to begin our eventual foundation of a new Championship tradition in Gainesville when I eventually step into the QB-1 role..."--in other words showing the kind of maturity and clear-eyed priorities that this Califofnia family did not.
Well, a guy can dream, right?
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The following is an aggregation of assumed facts based on what seems plausible based on contract laws in the state of Florida and California. No emotion is applied to these assumptions.
- Rashada was offered a $6M NIL deal at Miami with a third party, Life Wallet
- Rashada was offered a $7M NIL desk at Florida with another third party
- Ruiz snuck in a deadman clause into the Miami deal that due California law, Florida would become financially liable for the $6M that Rashada reneged on, bringing the total to $13M
- Florida realized they were backed into a corner and had no option but to pay the $13M, or let Rashada out of the commitment
What does this mean for any other school? Rashada is in a legal quandary. Unless he goes back to Miami, anyone else who picks him up on an NIL deal owes $6M to Life Wallet plus the NIL deal to that school UNLESS the deadman clause adds specificity, e.g., “The client may be released from this deal without penalty only if the client does not sign with Florida or FSU”.
Due to client privilege we will never know the details of the NIL deals, but we now know that lawyers have the most to gain here.
(With respect to that last line above, re lawyers...)
"As usual!"
What you say makes the most sense and frankly adds up more than anything ELSE I've heard about it out there.
Above all, though, as I've said, like most folks among (and, save among Hurricane and 'Nole trolls, even outside of) Gator fans, I am totally SICK of the whole mess--and frankly, the whole Rashada family--all the MORE so if this latest intel/analysis is accurate.
I'm torn between a continued interest in understanding what just happened, and in just desperately preferring to MOVE ON.
As each day passes it seems clearer that our Coach feels exactly the same way--and WON'T be commenting, in any event.
Fine with me, at this point. Any chance this stuff about getting DJ Lagway to pack the rest of his prep eligibility finished early and possibly arriving at UF a season early? If he's game, and it can be managed, is this realistic and/or truly desirable? While we may have stopgaps, at QB HE is obviously our best hope for the future.
DJ Lagway reaffirmed his commitment to the class of 2024. He wants to build that class and enjoy his last year of high school football and baseball. Frankly, I respect that decision.
That was my reaction to his words on the subject as well. He also is showing himself to be an active and enthusiastic team-builder in his efforts so far to reach out to prospective recruits on the Gators' radar--and has indicated to our staff that he is willing to do more, should they ask.
(I could contrast this to the behavior of "others"--but I am personally DONE with discussing, even MENTIONING kids like that one we just "lost"--indeed, ANYONE who would immediately run off to Boulder at Deion's beckoning, apparently just for publicity and a possible money grab in return for a shot at becoming "Prime Junior's" backup.)
Geez, what a strange new scene CFB is seemingly morphing into...
In addition to all the encouraging additions, just sweeping aside all the OTHER BS we've been weathering these last coupla weeks with more "relatively POSITIVE news" is somewhat a relief.
There's still WAY too much focus on the ex-criminole, that flashy fool who's at CU now (never thought much of him as a Nole OR a pro, and will enjoy watching him eventually fall--taking all the poor, blind and shallow pub-seekers who were probably more suited to the tip of "America's Wang" in the first place...and that ex-near-Gator's apparent flirting now turned to TCU strikes me as hilariously appropriate: A walking disaster joins the current poster-boys for "Collosal Failure").
OK. HAD to say it--but I will finally shut UP regarding all that.
There's still WAY too much focus on the ex-criminole, that flashy fool who's at CU now (never thought much of him as a Nole OR a pro, and will enjoy watching him eventually fall--taking all the poor, blind and shallow pub-seekers who were probably more suited to the tip of "America's Wang" in the first place...and that ex-near-Gator's apparent flirting now turned to TCU strikes me as hilariously appropriate: A walking disaster joins the current poster-boys for "Collosal Failure").
OK. HAD to say it--but I will finally shut UP regarding all that.
