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Georgia's backup quarterback is suing an SEC coach. Welcome to college football in 2024.

In a lawsuit filed this week, Jaden Rashada is suing a top Florida booster, a former recruiting staffer and Gators coach Billy Napier after Rashada's NIL deal with Florida unraveled while the quarterback was a blue-chip prospect.

Rashada's attorney says the quarterback was defrauded. He's seeking millions in damages. 

On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," host Blake Toppmeyer is joined by the Gainesville Sun's Kevin Brockway to unpack the lawsuit and what it means for Florida and Napier, its already embattled coach. 

This lawsuit might never see the inside of a courtroom, but, regardless, it's the latest blow for a coach who went 11-14 the past two seasons, and it's bad press for Napier's recruiting efforts. Already, Florida was off to a slow start to its 2025 recruiting class. The Gators also face a daunting schedule. Just how warm is the seat getting for Napier?

Later in the episode, Toppmeyer is joined by David Eckert of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger to preview a season of big expectations for Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin.

 Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Georgia's backup quarterback is <a href="https://www.gatorsports.com/story/sports/college/football/2024/05/21/jaden-rashada-suing-florida-football-coach-billy-napier-due-to-botched-nil-deal/73785170007/" aria-label="Link suing an SEC coach">suing an SEC coach</a>. Welcome to college football in 2024.
In a lawsuit filed this week, Jaden Rashada is suing a top Florida booster, a former recruiting staffer and Gators coach Billy Napier after Rashada's NIL deal with Florida unraveled while the quarterback was a blue-chip prospect.
Rashada's attorney says the quarterback was defrauded. He's seeking millions in damages. 
On this edition of "<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sec-football-unfiltered/id1574375094" aria-label="Link SEC Football Unfiltered">SEC Football Unfiltered</a>," host <a href="https://twitter.com/btoppmeyer" aria-label="Link Blake Toppmeyer">Blake Toppmeyer</a> is joined by the Gainesville Sun's <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinBrockwayG1" aria-label="Link Kevin Brockway">Kevin Brockway</a> to unpack the lawsuit and what it means for Florida and Napier, its <a href="https://www.gainesville.com/story/sports/college/football/2024/05/09/billy-napier-hot-seat-kalen-deboer-sec-football-florida-gators-contract-buyout-sam-pittman-clark-lea/73582318007/" aria-label="Link already embattled coach">already embattled coach</a>. 
This lawsuit might never see the inside of a courtroom, but, regardless, it's the latest blow for a coach who went 11-14 the past two seasons, and it's bad press for Napier's recruiting efforts. Already, Florida was off to a slow start to its 2025 recruiting class. The Gators also face a daunting schedule. Just how warm is the seat getting for Napier?
Later in the episode, Toppmeyer is joined by David Eckert of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger to preview a season of big expectations for Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin.
 Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.

SEC Football Unfiltered features hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams of the USA TODAY Network serving opinion, debate and analysis on trending college football topics within the Southeastern Conference. No subject is off limits, and no one is above rebuke. Take off the filter and revel in the banter.

SEC Football Unfiltered features hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams of the USA TODAY Network serving opinion, debate and analysis on trending college football topics within the Southeastern Conference. No subject is off limits, and no one is above rebuke. Take off the filter and revel in the banter.

SEC Football Unfiltered

What Jaden Rashada lawsuit means for Billy Napier and Florida Gators

As a 16-team conference with Oklahoma and Texas on board, the SEC is an undeniable super league.

The SEC doesn't need to expand again. But, don't rule out the SEC wanting to, especially if the ACC fractures.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey says the conference is focused on its current membership, but he didn't entirely shut down the idea of further expansion, when asked directly.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams unpack Sankey's comments and why they might point toward the possibility of the SEC becoming interested in ACC members, if the ACC's media rights deal doesn't hold.

Florida State and Clemson are suing the ACC, amid an ongoing battle with the ACC's contract that has, thus far, glued its membership in place.

Toppmeyer and Adams offer differing opinions on which four ACC schools the SEC should target, should those schools become available.

Later in the episode, an examination of the College Football Hall of Fame candidacies of Mike Leach and Les Miles.

As a 16-team conference with Oklahoma and Texas on board, the SEC is an undeniable super league.
The SEC doesn't need to expand again. But, <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/SEC/2024/06/14/college-world-series-sec-baseball-unc-fsu-virginia-clemson/74041047007/" aria-label="Link don't rule out the SEC wanting to">don't rule out the SEC wanting to</a>, especially if the ACC fractures.
SEC Commissioner <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/SEC/2024/05/30/sec-realignment-expansion-acc-florida-state-clemson-north-carolina/73843496007/" aria-label="Link Greg Sankey says the conference is focused on its current membership, but he didn't entirely shut down the idea of further expansion">Greg Sankey says the conference is focused on its current membership, but he didn't entirely shut down the idea of further expansion</a>, when asked directly.
On today's episode, hosts <a href="https://x.com/btoppmeyer" aria-label="Link Blake Toppmeyer">Blake Toppmeyer</a> and <a href="https://x.com/johnadamskns" aria-label="Link John Adams">John Adams</a> unpack Sankey's comments and why they might point toward the possibility of the SEC becoming interested in ACC members, if the ACC's media rights deal doesn't hold.
Florida State and Clemson are suing the ACC, amid an ongoing battle with the ACC's contract that has, thus far, glued its membership in place.
Toppmeyer and Adams offer differing opinions on which four ACC schools the SEC should target, should those schools become available.
Later in the episode, an examination of the College Football Hall of Fame candidacies of <a href="https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/mississippi-state/2024/06/13/mike-leach-college-football-hall-of-fame-mississippi-state-texas-tech-washington-state/74017268007/#:~:text=However%2C%20there%27s%20a%20rule%20hindering,Leach%20won%2059.6%25." aria-label="Link Mike Leach">Mike Leach</a> and <a href="https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/football/2024/06/17/les-miles-lsu-vacated-wins-lawsuit-college-football-hall-fame/74125031007/" aria-label="Link Les Miles">Les Miles</a>.

If SEC expands to 20 teams, consider these four ACC schools

You’ve heard of hot takes. You’re probably familiar with cold takes.

But, do you know of lukewarm takes?

They might be the truest predictions of all, and hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams are serving a helping of those lukewarm SEC football takes on today’s episode.

What constitutes a lukewarm take? It’s an against-the-grain prediction that doesn’t rise to the piping-hot level of a hot take.

A surprise SEC team will be ranked come October? Yep. We’ve got an idea about which one.

How many coaches will be fired? Several. More than the number who are on the hot seat right now.

A sleeper in the Heisman Trophy race? Certainly. Call your bookie with this bet.

Also, are Missouri and Ole Miss actually playoff teams? Thoughts on that, too.

Later in the episode, an examination of ESPN’s Football Power Index and some peculiarities within the teams it projects to be top playoff contenders.

You’ve heard of hot takes. You’re probably familiar with cold takes.
But, do you know of lukewarm takes?
They might be the truest predictions of all, and hosts <a href="https://x.com/btoppmeyer" aria-label="Link Blake Toppmeyer">Blake Toppmeyer</a> and <a href="https://x.com/johnadamskns" aria-label="Link John Adams">John Adams</a> are serving a helping of those lukewarm SEC football takes on today’s episode.
What constitutes a lukewarm take? It’s an against-the-grain prediction that doesn’t rise to the piping-hot level of a hot take.
A surprise SEC team will be ranked come October? Yep. We’ve got an idea about which one.
How many coaches will be fired? Several. More than the number who are on the hot seat right now.
A sleeper in the Heisman Trophy race? Certainly. Call your bookie with this bet.
Also, are Missouri and Ole Miss actually playoff teams? Thoughts on that, too.
Later in the episode, an examination of ESPN’s Football Power Index and some peculiarities within the teams it projects to be top playoff contenders.

Our 7 lukewarm SEC football takes; plus, what's up with ESPN hating on Ole Miss?

The first 12-team College Football Playoff projects to be an SEC party. Nine SEC teams profile as playoff hopefuls, but not all of them can qualify.

Four playoff teams from the SEC seems reasonable. What about five? That’s a stretch, but doable if the SEC catches a few breaks.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams unpack the SEC’s playoff outlook and handicap the hurdles standing in the way of the SEC qualifying as many as five teams.

Start with the Big Ten, which is the only conference that could threaten to qualify as many teams as the SEC. But, three qualifiers seems more likely for the Big Ten than five.

What about Notre Dame? The Irish snagging an at-large bid hurts the SEC’s chances for five, but Texas A&M might wreck Notre Dame in Week 1.

The Big 12 is the sleeper agent that could spoil the SEC’s five-qualifier quest.

Later in the episode, Toppmeyer and Adams highlight four sneaky-good nonconference games to watch this season. 

The first <a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/columnists/blake-toppmeyer/2024/05/12/college-football-playoff-2024-tennessee-florida-lsu/73631799007/" aria-label="Link 12-team College Football Playoff">12-team College Football Playoff</a> projects to be an SEC party. Nine SEC teams profile as playoff hopefuls, but not all of them can qualify.
Four playoff teams from the SEC seems <a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/story/nletter/2024/05/23/college-football-playoff-projections-rankings-alabama-georgia/73667669007/" aria-label="Link reasonable">reasonable</a>. What about five? That’s a stretch, but doable if the SEC catches a few breaks.
On today's episode, hosts <a href="https://x.com/btoppmeyer" aria-label="Link Blake Toppmeyer">Blake Toppmeyer</a> and <a href="https://x.com/johnadamskns" aria-label="Link John Adams">John Adams</a> unpack the SEC’s playoff outlook and handicap the hurdles standing in the way of the SEC qualifying as many as five teams.
Start with the Big Ten, which is the only conference that could threaten to qualify as many teams as the SEC. But, three qualifiers seems more likely for the Big Ten than five.
What about <a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/columnists/blake-toppmeyer/2024/05/26/notre-dame-college-football-schedule-playoff-texas-am-irish-alabama-tennessee/73582327007/" aria-label="Link Notre Dame">Notre Dame</a>? The Irish snagging an at-large bid hurts the SEC’s chances for five, but Texas A&amp;M might wreck Notre Dame in Week 1.
The Big 12 is the sleeper agent that could spoil the SEC’s five-qualifier quest.
Later in the episode, Toppmeyer and Adams highlight four sneaky-good nonconference games to watch this season.

Why Notre Dame and the Big Ten are a threat to SEC football (or maybe not)

What Jaden Rashada lawsuit means for Billy Napier and Florida Gators

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