Florida coach Billy Napier among parties filing to dismiss NIL lawsuit brought by Georgia QB Jaden Rashada

Florida coach Billy Napier filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit stemming from a failed $13.85 million name, image and likeness deal with now-Georgia quarterback Jaden Rashada on Tuesday.

The motion, filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern Florida, claims that “Napier could not have defrauded Rashada since the sole statement attributed to Napier is alleged to have been made after Rashada had already abandoned the Miami NIL deal.”

Tuesday was the deadline for all the parties to file motions to dismiss. Earlier in the day, former Florida staffer Marcus Castro-Walker and Gators booster Hugh Hathcock filed similar motions. 

The Rashada lawsuit, filed on May 21st, alleges Napier, Hathcock and Castro-Walker fraudulently convinced Rashada, then a highly regarded high school quarterback prospect, to attend Florida with no intention of following through on their financial promises. Specifically, the lawsuit claims “fraudulent misrepresentation and inducement, aiding and abetting fraud, civil conspiracy to commit fraud, negligent misrepresentation, tortious interference with a business relationship or contract and aiding and abetting tortious interference.”