Jaden Rashada committed to the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday, beating out other competitors like Florida, for the four-star quarterback recruit’s services. How did the Miami Hurricanes get Rashada to commit to their school?
Possibly by helping the young QB nail down what could be the most-expensive name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal for a high-school recruit to date.
Jaden Rashada turned down a bigger NIL deal
According to On3, Rashada recently agreed to an NIL deal with John Ruiz for $9.5 million. While the reported figure is eye-opening, it’s not even the biggest offer Rashada received. Sources also passed along that Rashada turned down an even more lucrative offer, totaling $11 million from Florida’s ‘Gator Collective’.
And as NIL lawyer Michael W. Caspino tells it, Rashada chose Miami because of the opportunity, not because of money.
“He did not pick the highest offer. He went there because he loves Miami, the coaches, and the opportunity,” says Caspino.
While the NCAA’s rules indicate that NIL deals can’t be used to entice recruits, it’s hard not to draw the parallels to why a player may be choosing one school over another. Either way, teams benefit directly from how the players perform on the field, so they should be earning a portion of the pie.
Rashada’s deal isn’t expected to raise any red flags, as he’s not the first to do such a deal with Ruiz, who’s helped other college athletes secure NIL deals as of late. Even though he didn’t take the bigger offer, Rashada’s NIL contract is sure to have plenty of people talking. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. If Rashada can pull in $9.5 million, what will Arch Manning have coming for him someday?
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