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Arizona State quarterback Jaden Rashada made waves on social media when he won the starting QB jersey as a true freshman at the start of the season, a rare occurrence in the FBS.
Rashada has had quite the journey to the point where he has become a Power Five starting QB. His family lives in California, and his parents, Harlen and Destiny Rashada, have four kids: Jaden, two other sons, and a sister.
Jaden's brother, Roman Rashada, plays safety at Ole Miss as well. Rashada's father, Harlen, was a safety for Arizona State between 1992 and 1994. He filed for divorce from his wife in 2015, according to UniCourt.
Jaden Rashada's controversial recruitment
As a four-star quarterback, according to 247Sports, Jaden Rashada had the world at his feet. After a Miami booster committed to paying him $9.5 million as part of a NIL recruitment initiative, he committed to the Hurricanes in June 2022.
In December, he abruptly switched his commitment to Florida. After switching his commitment to Florida from Miami, Rashada commented on his change of mind after the Under Armour All-American game.
He signed a NIL deal with the Gator Collective reportedly worth $13.85 million.
"It was true, you know, that there was always a spot in my heart for Florida and that never went away," Rashada said.
"I just had to re-evaluate some things. And I think what helped a lot too was seeing the quarterback position throughout the season, as well, and the positions that they put their quarterbacks in."
Except, the saga still had a few twists to go. After the Under Armour All-America Bowl, he did not show up for classes in Florida. Rashada later requested to be released from his national letter of intent after the collective did not pay the first amount worth $500,000 due to him in December.
He was left in limbo before landing at Arizona State.
Jaden Rashada finally finds a home
As a true freshman, it was not expected that Rashada would play any significant minutes, but he was named the Sun Devils starting QB for the 2023 season.
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham heaped praise on Jaden Rashada at the start of the season when he named him the Sun Devils' starting quarterback.
“He’s just gotten better, better and better every day,” Dillingham said. “You saw him go out there today, and when he’s on the field, explosive plays happen. Now, is there a learning curve with him? Yeah."
"He didn’t really get many reps in spring ball because he showed up the day before. He didn’t earn the right to be with the ones or twos to begin fall camp, so he started with the threes. But over a period of time, he’s grown and gotten better and better and better.”
He might have arrived at Arizona State via a circuitous route, but Jaden Rashada seems to have finally made the right decision.
