Saw this on another message board. It's from the Athletic and thought I would share it:
the Players
-Eddie Rojas, CEO of the Gator Collective, which he launched in August 2021. A former Florida baseball player who entered the NIL space with a crowdsourcing platform, Rojas hoped to make his alma mater known as “NIL U.”
He said of his collective in April: “I would venture to say the Gator Collective is paying more guaranteed money than any group in the country. When I write a contract, I want to make sure that we actually have the money in our account.”
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Jen Grosso, NIL coordinator for the Gator Collective. Known as “Gator Jen” to the fan base — it’s also her Twitter handle — Grosso holds finance and law degrees from the University of Florida.
-Hugh Hathcock, mega-donor who pledged $12.6 million to Florida’s athletic department in 2022. In April, he launched the Gator Guard — an assembly of wealthy donors capable of writing checks larger than the fan collective could amass in years. Hathcock said, “Players need to know if they come to the University of Florida that they’re going to have the best opportunities NIL-wise as any school in America.”
-Marcus Castro-Walker, the Gators’ director of player engagement and NIL, among the first crush of staffers hired by Napier upon becoming Florida’s head coach in December 2021.
TIMELINE:
June 7: Jaden Rashada takes an official visit to Florida.
June 9-12: Rashada joins his 7-on-7 team the Miami Immortals
June 20: Initially scheduled to reveal his commitment on June 18, Rashada postpones the announcement and schedules an official visit to Miami.
June 26: Rashada commits to Miami over Florida, LSU, Texas A&M and Ole Miss. The Gators staff had pulled its scholarship offer days earlier.
Nov. 10: Rashada and the Gator Collective agree to terms on an NIL deal exceeding $13 million with Rojas and Grosso reportedly signing the contract. Such a massive pledge is thought to dramatically exceed the Gator Collective’s fundraising level, so the deal presumes assistance from Hathcock or other Gator Guard donors. After signing the contract, Rashada decommits from Miami and flips to Florida.
Nov. 12: Rashada attends his first game at The Swamp, where Florida clobbers South Carolina 38-6 and a capacity crowd elevates the vibe. “Everything about this felt like the right decision for Jaden,” Harlen says.
Dec. 7: Rojas sends a termination letter regarding the $13 million contract, according to a program source close to the situation. There are conflicting accounts about why the deal crumbled and who pledged to pay what. Multiple conversations ensue between donors and athletic department members, including Castro-Walker and Stricklin.
Some within the administration are only now getting up to speed on what was promised — the program aiming to keep these third-party NIL dealings at arm’s length. Yet these conversations ultimately focus on finding contingencies for keeping the class’ highest-profile recruit in the fold.
Dec. 21: Delayed 67 minutes, Napier’s late-afternoon news conference on national signing day finally commences. Rashada’s name, initially missing from the list of signees, is added at the last minute.
Dec. 29: Rashada arrives in Orlando to begin practicing for the Under-Armour All-American game. He compliments fellow Florida signees and says he’s eager to start workouts with receivers at the indoor facility.
Dec. 30: In an interview mere days before Rashada’s scheduled enrollment, Harlen calls Napier “a leader of men” and says Jaden is “happy as I’ve ever seen him.” Harlen offers only sparse thoughts about NIL: “It’s new in the college landscape. It does impact recruiting and the game — but I think there are far more positives than negatives.
Jan. 3: Moments after the Under-Armour game at Camping World Stadium, Rashada poses for pictures with other Florida signees. He lauds Napier’s offense, saying, “I’m meant for the Florida system” and that he has gotten a head start on studying formations. The Rashadas intend to drive from Orlando to Gainesville for move-in day on Jan. 5.
Jan. 10: Sixteen early enrollees report, but Rashada is not among them, casting doubt about his future.
Jan. 11: A program source with knowledge of the entanglement says Rashada won’t be enrolling at Florida. “There’s a lot of panic. It’s like stepping on an ant pile.” There’s also the potential for litigation, hinging upon whether the November contract is binding. The collectives, according to another program source with knowledge of the situation, are offering a lesser deal to Rashada — still above seven figures — to stay at Florida, with the caveat that he release everyone from all previous claims.
Jan. 13: While this is the final deadline for students to start the spring semester, let’s not pretend the admissions office won’t grant an exception of a couple of days for an Elite 11 quarterback. Regardless, this points toward a make-or-break 11th-hour decision by Rashada — accept Florida’s counter and enroll or begin speed-dialing other FBS schools. Of course, there’s the chance that he could sacrifice spring and enroll at Florida in late May, which might crash the message boards over such extended drama.
