After years of chaos and five college stops, a former Georgia QB has finally joined their SEC rival. He closed a turbulent chapter, as he was once tied to a $13 million NIL with Miami, but ended up with nothing. However, that setback just pushed the quarterback further. Now, fighting through setbacks, the former three-star recruit is ready to seize the chance.

Mississippi State signed quarterback Jaden Rashada, who played under Kirby Smart at Georgia, out of the transfer portal. The program has brought in the well-traveled passer to the team, who, after a limited time at Sacramento State, comes to Starkville with two years of eligibility left.

Jeff Lebby’s quarterback room needed a major boost. After losing Luke Kromenhoek to the portal and Blake Shapen moving to the NFL, bringing in an experienced guy was their primary aim, and Rashada fits the bill perfectly. But it wasn’t a straightforward journey for him.

Jaden Rashada’s recruitment has become one of the most uncertain tales in college football. Back in 2022, Rashada came to the Elite 11 finals just days after committing to Miami and signing a $9.5 million NIL deal with them. But that grabbed a lot of attention, which made him nervous.

“The kids openly talked about his money around him on the field, and Rashada was standing there,” said George Whitfield, a quarterback coach and former ESPN analyst who worked at the event. “They’re asking him, ‘How does it work? Do you get it all at once?’ And you can tell how uncomfortable he was.” It was so awkward, and it only got worse. Balls were going into the dirt.”

Then, four months later, Jaden Rashada flipped his commitment from Miami to Florida, signing an NIL deal worth $13.85 million for four years that starts with a $500,000 payment, which was due December 5. But the money never came; instead, Florida’s NIL group canceled the contract just two days after the payment deadline, using a clause that let them walk away whenever they wanted. That left Rashada with zero money.

Many coaches believe that money never matched what they actually saw in him. Jaden Rashada sure had a strong arm and potential, but he wasn’t a proven QB, especially after the Elite 11 mess-up. He did file a lawsuit against then-head coach Billy Napier and others for fraud, but the damage was done.

The road to his college journey has been anything but straight. Rashada began his on-field career with Arizona State, where he played in three games as a true freshman. He threw for 485 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions at Arizona State before transferring to Georgia. In 2024, he was serving as a backup quarterback behind Carson Beck and Gunner Stockton with no game action.

Then came his fifth college move when he joined Sacramento State at the FCS level. But even here, he faced the struggle with time on the field. He had a knee injury that limited his availability for the rest of the year. Still, he completed 17 of 42 passes for 264 yards and one touchdown. That forced him to enter the portal and search for a team that gives him a starting role so that he can build a strong NFL resume.

Now, Rashada will join head coach Jeff Lebby, who had been eyeing him a couple of years before, too. He will be a part of a quarterback-friendly team that is offense-driven. However, the QB1 competition might affect his plans.

Ex-Georgia QB has some competition in Mississippi

After years of experience in different spots, Jaden Rashada looks like a perfect fit for Jeff Lebby’s program. Bringing experience from all those teams. But here’s the catch: the Bulldogs already see sophomore Kamario Taylor as their future QB1, positioning him as a starting option rather than an experienced backup. Rashada is a proven traveler but an unproven producer.

Taylor played in 11 games last season as a true freshman, playing in run packages before starting the two final games as QB1. He threw for 629 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception while adding 458 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

His best game came against Duke, where he also avoided a major injury scare. Just seconds after the start of the game, he left the game, taking a hard hit. He was seen in cleats on his lower leg, but despite that, he delivered a strong game, throwing for 241 yards, rushing for 63 yards, and scoring two touchdowns.

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Now, it will be interesting to see how Jeff Lebby plans to use their QBs.