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Why did Jaden Rashada flip to Florida? Fans say 'can't blame him' as top QB announces big news

Listed as the 45th overall recruit and the seventh-best passer, the 6-foot-4, 185-pound four-star QB made his commitment to the Hurricanes

Jaden Rashada has made up his mind to join the Miami Hurricanes over Florida Gators. Listed as the 45th overall recruit and the seventh-best passer in the 247Sports Matrix, the 6-foot-4, 185-pound four-star quarterback from Pittsburg, California, made his commitment to the Hurricanes. Rashada decided on Miami after making his fifth and final official visit to Coral Gables earlier this week, rejecting Florida, LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Ole Miss.

Rashada wrote as part of a larger statement on Twitter, “Over the past few months, I’ve been weighing my options heavily… I have dreamed of playing SEC football since I was a little kid. After a lot of prayers, and conversations with my family and those close to me. I have decided to change my commitment and play for the University of Florida. I have tremendous respect for Miami and what they are going to accomplish there but I have watched this season and Coach Napier and his team are building something very special in The Swamp and I want to be a part of it. […] Go Gators!!!”

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After the shocking revelation, many on social media came out to support Rashada for his decision. One person wrote on Twitter, “Let's not hate on Rashada. Incredible ceiling & I can’t blame him for flipping after watching trash QB play.” “As an Oregon fan you made the right decision good sir,” another added. Someone wrote, “OMG Jaden!!!  This is such a shock and unbelievable surprise!!  I had to read it 4-5 times!  WELCOME TO GATORNATION!!! 👍🏼🐊👍🏼🐊🔥🐊🏈🏆” “No panic at all, it's logical one look at the oc and you can see why this happened.  That being said we'll be aight still have a top 10 class coming in,” yet another user remarked. 

Meanwhile, Rashada's trip to south Florida was a last-minute change to her intended plan. His older brother Roman, a three-star cornerback, committed to Ole Miss earlier this month, and he went there in April. Then, during the first week of June, Rashada paid official visits to College Station, Baton Rouge, and Gainesville over the course of six days.

On June 18, he was supposed to reveal his college choice, and the Gators seemed to be the front-runner. Rashada postponed his planned announcement by eight days after competing with the Miami Immortals 7-on-7 team at the Overtime national invitational in Las Vegas earlier this month. This allowed him to make one last unofficial trip to Miami, which had previously hosted him and his father on two other occasions. The Elite 11 quarterback completed 57 percent of his throws last year as a junior in high school for 2,220 yards, 27 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Additionally, he ran for 193 yards and a touchdown.

According to 247 Sports, Rashada will be the second-highest recruit in the 247Sports Composite to play for Miami since the website started keeping track of recruiting rankings in 2000 if he registers with the Hurricanes. Only Kyle Wright received a rating better than him. Meanwhile, Rashada’s commitment to Miami means only four of the 22 blue-chip quarterbacks in the country remain uncommitted, five-star Dante Moore of Detroit, Mich, four-star Dylan Lonergan of Snellville, four-star Avery Johnson of Maize, Kan, and four-star Brock Glenn of Memphis, Tenn.