Jaden Rashada breaks silence on lengthy transfer process, Sacramento State pick: 'I had more pure intentions'
Jaden Rashada's college recruitment has been under a microscope since he announced his commitment to Miami almost three years ago. The decorated quarterback from the 2023 recruiting class has become one of the most recognizable faces and cautionary tales of the NIL era due to a series of high-profile events, which includes a fallout with Florida that resulted in a lawsuit against, among others, coach Billy Napier.
Rashada played a season at Arizona State after a botched $13.85 million NIL deal with Florida fell through, then transferred to Georgia -- where he did not appear in a game during the 2024 campaign -- and entered the transfer portal for a second time. During his second stint in the portal, Rashada was patient in his process. He took an official visit to Western Kentucky, was in contact with Tulane, and nearly visited North Carolina before the visit fell through in the eleventh hour.
Sacramento State, which is expected to make the move from FCS to FBS in the coming seasons, was the one school that remained consistent throughout Rashada's recruiting process. The Hornets contacted Rashada's camp in January and stayed in touch throughout his recruiting process while he weighed his other options in the transfer portal.
After almost four months in the transfer portal during his second go around, Rashada ended his recruitment with a phone call to Sac State coach Brennan Marion the night before his transfer became public.
"It was a lot to figure out honestly," Rashada told CBS Sports. "This move had to be pretty critical and intentional. ... I was more picky this time around. I had more pure intentions of what I wanted to get out of it. ... Most importantly, I missed the game. I love football. This is what I've been doing since I was a kid. I missed playing the game. I wanted to play for a head coach who had my back and had a plan for me."
Sac State does have a plan in place for Rashada. On the same day Rashada pledged his commitment to Sac State, Carson Conklin -- Sac State's starting quarterback during the 2024 season -- entered the transfer portal to little fanfare. He transferred to Fresno State days after Rashada made his commitment official, creating a path for Rashada to head into fall camp as the presumptive starter.
"We are definitely in on (Jaden) being our guy," Marion told CBS Sports. "For us in every room, we want guys who can be draft picks, starters and stars. In every room, if you look at what we are doing in the transfer portal and what we have done with high school recruiting, every single room had that. Except for the quarterback room, we did not upgrade to the level I liked."
Marion's relationship with Rashada dates back to when he was the wide receivers coach at Texas. Marion was interested in recruiting Rashada to Texas, and he was considered a potential backup option in case Arch Manning chose not to sign with the Longhorns. "We were all in on getting Arch and that was a team effort," Marion said. "There was a little bit of, what's the backup plan if we don't get Arch? I went to see Jaden as a potential guy we could put on the radar if we didn't get Arch."
When Rashada entered the transfer portal for the first time, he zeroed in on Georgia. The appeal of playing at an SEC powerhouse and competing for a backup job was inciting. Behind the scenes, it was believed the Rashada camp was also trying to recoup some of its lost NIL by striking at a time where pay-for-play had become essentially legalized. Arizona State acted accordingly, adding transfer Sam Leavitt -- who bloomed into a star -- before Rashada had even formally decided to leave Tempe.
Rashada transferring to Georgia was similar to the path Dante Moore -- another member of that star-studded 2023 recruiting class took last offseason. Moore transferred to Oregon to be Dillon Gabriel's backup after spending his freshman season at UCLA. Nearly every high-profile QB from the starry class of 2023 has transferred, with Manning being the last five-star QB still standing.
Rashada was expected to compete for the backup job at Georgia behind Carson Beck, but Gunner Stockton ultimately won the job. Instead, Rashada spent the entirety of the 2024 campaign as Georgia's third-string quarterback and didn't appear in a game. He still had positive takeaways from his short stint in Athens.
"I learned a lot there," Rashada said. "I did notice being able to get your feet wet at first and come in and sit last year, I was itching to play football. Not only that, be in the right fit and the right scheme with the right coaches. That's what was most important."
When Rashada did see the field dating back to his time at Arizona State, the talent was evident. He beat out Trenton Bourguet and Drew Pyne during fall camp ahead of the 2023 campaign for the starting job. Rashada became the first freshman quarterback to start a season-opener at ASU since eventual AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels did it in 2019.
Rashada finished that 2023 season with 485 yards passing and four touchdowns. He completed 18 of 31 attempts for 236 yards and two touchdowns in ASU's opener against Southern Utah and showed flashes of his four-star billing. Rashada started the following week against Oklahoma State but only appeared in one more game after that due to injury.
If Rashada's talent translates at Sac State, it would mark a major win for Marion and his coaching staff, who have overhauled its roster with over 50 total transfers from the FCS and FBS levels.
The marriage between Rashada and Sac State is the perfect partnership for both sides. Rashada provides the star quarterback the Hornets have been searching for, while Sac State offers him a chance to start immediately for a team expected to compete for a Big Sky title.
"(Sac State's) offense is super quarterback friendly," Rashada said. "Everyone knows about (Marion's) Go-Go Offense. High tempo, throw the ball. I'm pretty excited about that."
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