Florida coach Billy Napier talks Jaden Rashada lawsuit and why he is 'comfortable' with actions

Florida football coach Billy Napier offered his first public comments since being sued by five-star quarterback Jaden Rashada last week, saying he was comfortable in the decisions he made.

Napier, booster Hugh Hathcock and former Florida Gators football staffer Marcus Castro-Walker were named in the suit last week, which accused the three of fraud for failing to follow through on a $13.8 million Name, Image and Likeness deal that Rashada claimed was promised to him during the 2022-23 recruiting cycle.

Specifically, the lawsuit claims Napier promised Rashada and his family $1 million to sign with Florida on signing day. Rashada signed with Florida on Dec. 21, 2022, but didn't enroll at the school the following month and was released from his national letter of intent in late January of 2023.

The University of Florida and Florida's athletic department were not named in the suit but will provide counsel for Napier to fight the suit.

"I can't comment due to the litigation," Napier said at SEC spring meetings in Destin on Tuesday. "But I do have confidence in my legal team. I am comfortable with my actions and I am thankful for the university's support. We'll leave it at that and let the process take its course."

Asked how it has impacted momentum for the program during a positive spring for Florida in terms of workouts and the transfer portal, Napier responded: "I spent about 30 minutes observing our team this morning before coming here. We officially started our offseason program for the summer this morning. That's what gives me confidence. We executed the first half of the offseason the best we've done since we've been here. We certainly have evolved, we've adapted, and I feel good about our systems. We've got credible leadership."

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Napier also declined to comment about Castro-Walker's dismissal, but remains confident that the lawsuit won't negatively impact Florida in recruiting.

"This narrative has been out there a long time," Napier said. "I think we got that question two years ago, a year and a half ago, and I don't think it's necessarily slowed us down."

Rashada enrolled at Arizona State and has since transferred to Georgia. When asked about a quarterback from a rival school suing another coach within the conference, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday he was not a fan of lawsuits.

“It’s not the only lawsuit involving a coach over the last year," Sankey told the Athens Banner Herald's Marc Weiszer. "It won’t be the last. We have a legal system and people have rights to pursue what they view as grievances and the legal system sorts that out.”

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun Florida beat writer. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @KevinBrockwayG1