The Florida Gators showed during the Las Vegas Bowl that the quarterback room needs a major upgrade under Billy Napier and the coaching staff.
Quarterback signee Jaden Rashada (6-4, 185, Pittsburg, CA. High) hopes to provide that upgrade after he flipped to Florida in November from Miami.
Rashada who will play in the Under Armour All-American game next week explained when he decided he want to flip to the Gators from the Canes.
“I was praying about it for like a whole month, just thinking about it and praying about it,” Rashada said on making the flip to Florida. “Making a decision on my own, I would say there wasn’t a specific moment but there would just be signs. When I was watching the games and the conversations I would have with the coaches.”
The coaching staff in Gainesville never gave up on Rashada despite his commitment to Miami and that played a big role in the Gators making the flip happen.
“I would just say that I’m a like people person,” he said on the reason he flipped. “Me, Coach [Billy] Napier, Coach [Ryan] O’Hara, Coach KC [Keary Colbert], and a lot of people in the building just clicked naturally. Just having the same outlook on things. I think there was always that connection. I think that was why communication was always there. The relationship was kind of what got me.”
The Gators finished second for Rashada in June when he committed to the Canes, but the quarterback says the Gators were always on his mind and the season only made those impressions stronger.
“It was true that there was always a spot in my heart for Florida,” Rashada said on Florida. “That never went away, I just had to reevaluate some things. I think what helped a lot was seeing the quarterback position throughout the season and the position they put their quarterbacks in. That also was a big factor.”
The quarterback situation and the plan the Gators have for Rashada were two things that stuck out to Rashada during the process.
“It was just about being around good people, they kept the communication going,” he said on why Florida was the right fit for him. “They kept saying their game plan for me personally not just throwing me. I think that was a big thing and the relationships and how much they value me.”
Rashada also made sure to do his homework on Napier as he looked for feedback from former players who played for the Gators’ head man a few years ago.
“So, my dad went to ASU, and Coach Nape was at ASU so I’ve always had connections to ASU,” Rashada said on who he talked to about Napier from Arizona State. “As far as just knowing some players so I kind of asked them back in June like how Coach and that was the best feedback I got about the coach from former players and stuff.
The Gators also had help from former quarterback Anthony Richardson who talked and stayed in touch with Rashada throughout the process.
“Me and AR [Anthony Richardson] have always had a relationship since I met him,” he said. “Whether I went there or not, he never stopped talking to me. I asked him for some opinions on things, and he would text me back right away. He was just mainly giving me some advice and telling me to spend time on what you love because it isn’t going to be easy.”
Richardson’s advice coupled with the Gators’ offensive plan for Rashada was big as the quarterback likes how he fits into the offense for Florida.
“I think mainly their play-action and hitting those deep balls,” Rashada said on how the offense fits him. “I think they have an established run game and that helps a passer. Opening things up in play-action is what I think is my biggest strength.”