A U.S. District Court judge has ruled that Jaden Rashada’s lawsuit against Florida head coach Billy Napier and others will move to discovery and go toward trial. The lawsuit involves allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation, inducement, conspiracy to commit fraud, and negligent misrepresentation. While Rashada’s tortious interference claims were dismissed, the majority of the case will proceed to trial.
This ruling comes almost a year after Rashada filed the lawsuit, which centers around a $13.85 million contract that led him to flip his commitment from Miami to Florida in 2022. The lawsuit alleges that Florida reneged on an NIL collective agreement, leaving Rashada without a school and potential earnings.
Judge M. Casey Rodgers of the Northern District of Florida made the decision, also dismissing counts related to tortious interference and a conspiracy to boycott Rashada. However, the case is moving forward in a significant development in the NIL era.
Napier, former University of Florida director Marcus Castro-Walker, booster Hugh Hathcock, and Hathcock’s former company Velocity Automotive had all filed motions to dismiss the case. The judge’s ruling now paves the way for the case to proceed to trial, a process that will involve discovery and a closer examination of the allegations made by Rashada.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
