Georgia’s Kirby Smart gave blessing for Jaden Rashada to file lawsuit Gave his blessing - approved the lawsuit = same as encouraged to me.
FSU pulled the Castellanos kid from BC in the portal. Rashada is trying to avoid competition. FSU probably can't afford to pay 2 QBs and address other areas on the roster that need upgrades.
Hard to know what that really means. I presume Rashada ran it by Smart because of the publicity to the program and that Smart had no choice but to say if you feel you are owed you can or should pursue it. I would be surprised if Smart encouraged it in a dark way hoping to discredit UF and Napier. Would he instinctively know that it could be bad publicity for Napier, of course. But it would be an unreasonable level of sportsmanship for Smart to discourage Rashada's pursuit on a basis of not wanting the appearance that georgia was out to get Napier.
Rashada and ETN i think dug deeper holes. ETN was already on the team and Rashada has started years long drama.
I imagine ETN was good enough that in HS he only needed to run the ball. Maybe his HS coaches tried to teach him to be a complete back, maybe not. Notwithstanding where our last season ended, he must have thought he could head to georgia and just run the ball with their big, talented OL. It hasn't worked out. His stats were slightly better here. I get that he wants to run the ball, but there's just more to it than that. The videos posted of his lackadaisical pass blocking speak to that. Not our problem. At this point, where would he go in a draft, 4th round?
I don't think it quite happened that way, but that's my opinion. The quote about Kirby giving his blessing is attributed to an Alabama beat writer rather than a direct quote from Kirby. Rashada's camp files that lawsuit regardless of where he's playing because he has anywhere from 9 to 13 million reasons to do so. I'd think Napier himself would have been the most peeved if indeed Smart had any involvement “Say what you will, he told me the day before they decided to do the lawsuit,” Smart said. “I told him that would be between his family and his attorney. I’m not involved in it. Georgia’s not involved in it in anyway.” Smart added that the lawsuit did not impact his relationship with Napier and that they "talk all the time." Both coached under Nick Saban at Alabama. https://www.gainesville.com/story/sports/college/florida-gators/2024/11/02/jaden-rashada-florida-gators-sue-billy-napier-recruitment-nil-college-football-georgia/75895774007/#:~:text=Kirby Smart on Jaden Rashada,under Nick Saban at Alabama.
It has been said that Kirby called Napier after the Georgia game crying that Brian Cox had given Kirby a crude gesture during the game. That was apparently the last straw for Cox, and Napier released him. Kirby sure is returning that professional respect here by not even trying to discourage Rashada from suing the world that feeds him under his watch. Kirby is a dirt bag. Hope his DUI-filled drag-racing reckless-speeding team folds like a house of cards under him.
I could agree with that if the issue had been decided. Has it? I don't believe it's likely we promised the kid millions. But Shart cannot involve himself with the legal issues or or judge the validity of Rashada's claim, because he's then involved, even liable, if he restricts the player from his legal rights. It's a matter that precedes their decision to draft Rashada. If the situation was reversed I doubt Napier would tell Rashada he cannot continue to litigate.
