Florida Severs ties with NIL Marcus Castro-Walker, Director of Player Engagement
Florida’s Gainsville — A UF representative confirmed to All Gators on Thursday that Florida had parted ways with Marcus Castro-Walker, its Director of Player Engagement and Name, Image, and Likeness. Castro-Walker’s resignation from UF was initially reported by Graham Hall of 247Sports. In a statement released on Thursday morning, UF spokesperson Steve McClain stated, “Marcus Castro-Walker is not employed by the athletic department.” The Athletic claims that Castro-Walker, who started working for Florida in December 2021 in an off-field capacity, is a key player in the NCAA’s ongoing investigation of the program in relation to its efforts to recruit quarterback Jaden Rashada of the class of 2023.
The NCAA investigation centers on Rashada’s recruiting and signing with Florida, which resulted in what was seen to be unprecedented controversy around his name, image, and likeness at the time. Rashada, a quarterback who is widely regarded as one of the best in the class of 2023, switched his college pledge from Miami to Florida in a midnight social media post the month before, and in December of 2022 he signed a
National Letter of Intent to become a member of the Gators. However, Rashada was unable to register for classes at the university in January 2023—a date that head coach Billy Napier had predicted and that Rashada’s father, Harlen, had mentioned during the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando, Florida. Rashada asked to be released from his National Letter of Intent by January 20 and Florida granted his request.
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