NCAA investigating Gators for Jaden Rashada recruitment - ESPN

Florida's football program is under NCAA investigation regarding its recruitment of quarterback prospect Jaden Rashada, sources told ESPN on Friday.

Rashada signed with the Gators in December 2022, but was later released from his national letter of intent after his lucrative name, image and likeness package with an independent collective-reportedly worth more than $13 million over four years-fell apart.

Rashada, the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback and No. 31 prospect overall in the 2023 ESPN 300, ended up enrolling at Arizona State, his father's alma mater.

«We have been and will continue to cooperate with the NCAA,» Florida spokesman Steve McClain said in a statement provided to ESPN. «We hold ourselves to high standards of excellence and integrity on and off the field. Because we follow NCAA policies about maintaining confidentiality, we are unable to offer additional comments.»

On Friday, the Tampa Bay Times and Associated Press obtained an NCAA notice of inquiry that was sent to Florida President Ben Sasse on June 9, notifying the school that NCAA enforcement staff had launched an investigation into the football program.

Rashada's name was not mentioned in the letter, nor were the nature of the alleged NCAA rules violations, according to the AP.

Rashada had agreed to an NIL deal with the Gator Collective, which wasn't officially affiliated with the university. He asked to be released from his letter of intent after the collective purportedly failed to honor his NIL deal. Florida officials granted Rashada's release on Jan. 20, 2023. The Gator Collective has since been shut down.

Rashada, from Pittsburg, California, was the highest-rated prospect in Florida coach Billy Napier's 2023 recruiting class and was considered