QB Jaden Rashada commits to Arizona State after release from Florida

Jaden Rashada, the nation’s top uncommitted quarterback prospect, signed on Wednesday at Arizona State. Here’s what you need to know:

Rashada, who played high school in Pittsburg, Calif., is ranked No. 82 overall and the No. 7 quarterback for the Class of 2023 in the 247Sports Composite. He first committed to Miami but returned to Florida in early November and signed a letter of intent with the Gators in December. He asked for his release in January after a dispute with the Florida independent collective. He had discussions with TCU, Cal and Washington, among others, before choosing to play for Arizona State and freshman coach Kenny Dillingham.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

What does this mean for the state of Arizona?

All eyes have been on Rashada since he asked Florida to be released from its national letter of intent. After a long and dramatic recruiting Rashada made a relatively quick decision and landed at Arizona State, where his father, Harlen Rashada played.

Dillingham promised a vision to bring the Sun Devils back to prominence, with a primary focus on taking over Arizona State. But thanks to a few lucky breaks — NIL confusion in Florida — he was able to capitalize late in the process and land a top-100 quarterback. They don’t ask how things are going, they ask for results. Dillingham’s results are pretty good. —Wasserman

Does Rashada have a chance to start in 2023?

Arizona State’s QB room is standing room only. Trenton Bourguet, who started five games last season and completed 71% of his passes, returns. Dillingham also brought in Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne and Jacob Conover from BYU. Pyne last season threw for 2,031 yards for a Fighting Irish team that finished 9-4 while Conover played sparingly for two seasons. Overall, the Sun Devils have six (!) stock quarterbacks, but it’s hard to say how that will turn out. Rashada should have a strong look. Listed at 6-foot-4, 175 pounds, he will remind fans of former Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels, but Rashada could throw the ball better. This could be an interesting positional battle. -Haller

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(Photo: Manny Navarro/The Athletic)