In His Own Words: Harlen Rashada, father of Jaden Rashada, on path to Georgia
DawgsHQ had the opportunity to speak with Harlen Rashada, the father of Georgia quarterback transfer Jaden Rashada, recently for an in-depth look at how the big news came together.
Today, we offer up the content of that interview unedited and without additional narrative, giving the Rashada family a chance to explain how this all happened, why Georgia was the fit, and much more.
DawgsHQ: Jaden comes to Georgia. It comes together quickly. How did you all know this was the right fit so fast?
Harlen Rashada: “You have to go all the way back, to be honest. This whole experience from the recruiting process to landing at Arizona State, which I played there, there were pieces of it where he’d lost what he’d built through the recruiting process with identifying schools that he felt were the right fit. I think he ended up at Arizona State, and it was a school he was very familiar with since I’d played there. We had our challenges there, even being an alumni there.
“The whole Ray Anderson, the whole five days before the season started that they weren’t going to be in bowl games. A lot of ups and downs from athletic administration. Coaching turnovers. There are a lot of changes, and they’re trying to establish their identity as a program right now. I think Kenny is going to do good things there in the future, but he was also on his second offensive coordinator in the first year with the program. I think for him, Jaden’s a really smart kid, and he always wanted to play the best football he could play. He’s a really competitive kid, and we were 3-9 last year.
“He was injured for part of that. It was tough for him to go through that process, let alone to look around and see us losing a lot of our top guys. The whole temperature of college football as it is right now is a different animal. I’m touching on all of this, because it all leads up to that question. He lost a lot of what worked really hard for throughout this recruiting process. He ended up at Arizona State, and I think he got to a point where he realized he wanted to compete with the best that he could compete with. He’s really competitive.
“The portal is an interesting process. Georgia is a school that, even in the recruiting process, he had his eyes, but, I don’t know if it was the Arch sweepstakes, they didn’t come around. He had a lot of options. I think he had 35 schools, but that was one that he never had. I think there was some communication with Monken, but they never pulled the trigger. As it stands right now, Coach [Mike] Bobo was actually the first SEC OC to offer Jaden in what I want to say was tenth grade. They had a good connection. Bobo kind of joked around saying, ‘When I saw you flying around on private planes, I didn’t think I’d get you at Auburn.’ Also, [Brandon]Streeter, who’s an analyst there, we got to know him when he was at Clemson. He did recruit Jaden, but I think they were tied into the Arch situation.
“It didn’t really pan out for them. He was very high on their board, as well. When he finished the year and had exit meetings, it was buzzing, and they had conversations as far as him and Kenny. I think it was obvious he was questioning the situation as much as he loved Arizona State from a familiarity standpoint, and it’s a great place to live. There’s a lot of sentimental value there, but I think the writing was on the wall from a developmental standpoint that things weren’t ideal. That was him just wanting to be the best player he could be and looking around and going, ‘Hey, I know what that looks like and what that feels like’ and maybe having some natural questions being a young competitor.
“The portal came, and it felt like a pretty solid decision to get in there and see what was out there. Obviously, Georgia reached out, and that was already a situation where he knew Bobo and Streeter were there, so there was an instant connection with those guys. I think it was kind of a no-brainer. Georgia has an elite program, but bigger than an elite program where you’re going to play great football, you have leaders of men in the building. You have some guys that have played at a really high level, some guys who’ve played at that (SEC) level.
“They really know the temperature of elite competition. I think it’s 100-percent a slam dunk as far as a fit goes with what he sees himself developing into and the type of atmosphere he wants to be around. It was a no-brainer. When he got in and Georgia reached out, I think it was pretty much his focal point at that time, and I was on the same page. A lot of people reached out, as well, but meeting Kirby, meeting Bobo, spending time with Streeter, they’re doing special things at Georgia. It’s really an elite program. He knows he’s going to go there and compete with the best guys in the country, and that raises his antennas on so many different levels. I think he’s going to be the best player he can be there.”
Jaden Rashada in the quarterback competition
DawgsHQ: You mentioned competition, which was something we wanted to touch on. A lot of people would at Georgia’s quarterback room and say that’s not the easiest situation to go into. There are places to see the field earlier. Carson Beck is penciled in and a preseason Heisman contender. There are guys behind him with experience in Gunner Stockton. They bring in a talented guy like Ryan Puglisi. Given that’s the case, what ended up driving Jaden to Athens. Was it competition aspect and the ability to compete with those guys and a sort of iron sharpening iron mentality?
HR: “To be honest, it was funny. As a dad, sometimes, I go back to the recruiting process, and you’re looking ahead going, ‘Okay, who do they have? When’s your opportunity to compete for a starting role? What does that starting role mean?’ If you’re starting and you maybe don’t have the pieces around you or the development behind you, I don’t know how useful that is. I think the key is knowing that you’re going to be in good hands with development. The funny thing is, when you go through that process, even today, I don’t think he spends a lot of time thinking about who’s in the room.
Apr 13, 2024; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (15) passes the ball during the G-Day Game at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
“We go through the recruiting process, and he was like, ‘Dad, I have to compete wherever I go.’ I’ve always taken my hat off to him because of that, because he has that part right. Wherever you go, you have to compete. With Georgia, I think what makes that unique is that’s not something you have to manufacture. You’re not saying, ‘We have to compete here.’ No. You know when you go to Georgia, you’re going to compete. I think Jaden welcomes that head on. I think he’s more so looking at getting in there and getting to know those guys, work with them daily, work on his craft, hone in on what the scheme is, gel with the team, and do the things that are necessary for him to be the best quarterback he can be. The competition is organic.
“You don’t need to make it up. It’s there. It’s in the room. You’re talking about a kid who’s done all of that stuff. He’s done the Elite11. He’s done every top camp you can go to. He’s never shied away from going out in camps with the top guys you can go with. That goes all the way back to youth football where I did get to coach him for a little while. We always tried to find the most competitive leagues to play in. We always tried to get the best kids. We always tried to win and play the best, most competitive football we could play. It starts all the way back to him being seven years old. I think the whole notion of competition is just part of what he’s been doing all of his life. He doesn’t try to give much merit to that. I think that’s just part of the deal in being a competitive football player.”
DawgsHQ: You spoke on the pieces around you. I’m curious — what role did Georgia’s roster play in this, with the weapons available and the guys already in place?
HR: “It was interesting. When we went into the meeting with Bobo, Gummy [Montgomery Van Gorder], and Streeter, for crying out loud, what really jumps out to you is not only the pro-style concepts but also how well they’ve protected the quarterback over the years. That is a staple to me in being able to play sound football. I think that jumped out. One of the the things they said was they had the top line the last three years in college football. One year, might’ve been last year, it was like .2 sacks per game. Walking through the locker room, you’re seeing some of these giant dudes. You know they have elite components all the way across the board.
“The skill guys are there. You’re throwing to elite targets. You’re handing off to elite guys. You have a defense behind you that has their ears pinned back. They’re hellacious. They come after guys. The story is well documented. The whole thing behind it is you’re playing championship football at Georgia. If you have a kid who that’s what he lives for, he’s going to naturally gravitate toward that. I think that’s what Jaden did.”
The Vision in Athens
DawgsHQ: In speaking with the coaches, what is their vision for Jaden? What do they see as possible for his future? How did that message resonate with you guys as a family and with Jaden as a player?
HR: “I think the key, Jaden mentioned it, is development. I think no matter where you are on the field at Georgia, you could probably be going 2-on-2, and your 2-on-2 is better than most 1-on-1s across the country. I think the development side of it was a big piece of the puzzle and just understanding you have some really good players here. You have Carson Beck who’s a Heisman candidate and projected high draft pick. Much respect to that guy coming in. I think he’s a great guy for any of these quarterbacks in this room to measure themselves across.
“I think a lot of guys don’t have that across the country. A lot of guys may come in and say, ‘Hey, I’m the guy right now.’ But who are you really? When you see a guy like that for example, who’s spent three or four years in the program and paid his dues and won at a high level and see what that looks like, it’s a great learning point for any young quarterback. It’s a great bar to measure yourself against. I think the guys they have in the room right now are really talented guys. I think a lot of the conversation was about coming in and developing and competing and understanding you’re going to come in and learn some things. Obviously, he’s going to pick up a new playbook that he has to learn. Some guys will have the advantage on that right now, but he’s a really smart kid with a high IQ. He’ll absorb it in time. They like his arm talent.
“They like his size and ability. It’s just a matter of getting in there, finding out where the locker room is, who are the guys, what we’re doing, and getting out there and competing with everybody. Then, you let the chips fall where they fall with the clean expectation that you’re here to develop and become the best player you can become. I think if you focus on that and become the best player you can be, the sky is the limit for most of these kids. That’s going to make for even more beautiful competition and a stronger team and a better experience overall.”
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart talks with Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) during a football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023.
DawgsHQ: What was the role Kirby Smart played in all of this? What was the communication he had with you guys? What was it like spending time with him and hearing his message, not only for Jaden, but for the program?
HR: “Kirby was actually pretty refreshing for me. He’s a leader of men to me. He’s a guy’s guy. You sit across from him, and you don’t feel like you’re with somebody who’s out of touch. We’re at the dinner table, and we’re talking. He says, ‘Hold on.’ He starts shooting the stuff with his guys who are sitting at the table with Jaden behind me. I see little things like that, and he loves those guys.
“He is also going to drive them. He made it clear that, ‘Hey, we’re going to work hard here. We’re going to push you.’ I think Kirby, in getting to spend a little time with him, I was really impressed with the man he was. You notice this from the recruiting process, you go to elite programs and have an established culture, and they’re moving forward. You can see where it’s coming from.
“Sitting across from Kirby, he kind of embodies that to me. He’s a very intelligent guy. He has a very intense side to him, but he also has a side that, in my mind, I would play for him. I was a former safety, he was a former safety. We had some DB talk together. We’re not that far in age. I really like the guy as a person. I think the coach he is really speaks for itself. He has the trophies in the hallway and everything he needs to back that up. He’s a good guy. He’s a leader of men, and I’m really happy Jaden’s going to have a chance to be coached by him and his staff.”
DawgsHQ: What does Jaden bring to the Georgia quarterback room that may not already be there? What makes him unique amongst Georgia’s quarterback room?
HR: “I don’t really know all the other guys and their game. To be honest, I’m not a quarterback dad. I didn’t play the position. I’m sure if you were to talk to somebody who played quarterback in the NFL, they could tell you more in depth. I know Jaden, and I‘ve watched him over the years. What I’ve seen from Jaden is he always plays his best game in the most competitive situations. What I’ve seen from my son over the years is he can be phenomenally accurate.
“He can be really accurate in second and third level throws and deep balls. He’s a leader. I think players will end up getting to know him and gravitate toward him and the person he is, first and foremost, and then maybe also as the competitor he is, as well. I don’t really know the ins of the entire quarterback room to speak on what everyone does and doesn’t do. I think he’s going to land there as a kid who’s ready to compete, and he does has some elite arm talent. That’s me being dad right now. I’m taking the dad hat off, though, and I’m looking at it as someone who’s seen him over the years and played college football. I don’t even play catch with the kid anymore.
“Those days are long gone. I’m like, ‘Go get your receivers for that. I need my hands. I gotta go to work.’ He has a strong arm and has had that for a long time. What a lot of people don’t realize either is that when he was in like the fifth grade, his reading comprehension scores were on like the eleventh grade level. I couldn’t make that up. I thought they messed the scores up when they sent them to the house. He’s got it between the ears, as well. I think he’s accurate. He’s a leader. He definitely is not afraid to throw deep balls with accuracy. He’s been playing the position since he was seven years old. I’m excited for him to get out there and compete with these guys and be a part of that team and get into a winning culture with a lot of mature young men who understand the goal. There are some really strong leaders as coaches who can keep developing him.”
(Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK) Jaden Rashada spent his freshman season at Arizona State where he started three games but missed nine more with injury
DawgsHQ: Jaden has a year of college ball under his belt, and he dealt with injury during. Still, that’s ab big time of growth for a lot of guys. The body changes a lot. From a physical standpoint, where is Jaden these days? What’s changed from high school to now?
HR: “In high school, he had little ding on the knee in high school. I didn’t think he’d have an issue, but he ended up getting there late because of what happened in the recruiting process. He didn’t really get to come in with a plan per se. He came in and was watching these two guys battle and waiting his turn. Another guy went down in camp, and he got more reps.
“Then, everyone was kind of wowed about it and said, ‘Wait a minute.’ He ended up starting. From a physical standpoint, he came in about 180, and I think he’s about 195 right now. I think he’s learned a lot about the game in the year he’s been there. There’s a natural learning curve no matter where you are, but I assume especially at that position with all the information that’s coming your way. For him to walk in off the street and join the team days before spring ball and then get the starting nod, it’s a testament to how devoted he was to learning a lot.
“He’d call and say, ‘I’m in the building.’ He wasn’t doing it just to tell me that. He was still just there watching film, and he’ll do those little things. I think that one of the things people think is, ‘Hey, he has that arm talent,’ but he has a lot between the ears. He’s devoted to the grind, to getting in the weight room, to spending time in meetings. He takes that challenge and welcomes it. I’ve seen a progression from him. We sat down a few times, and he’d break things down. I’d just have to say, ‘Okay, I’m done. I don’t know what you’re talking about anymore.
“Sounds good to me.’ He’s grown a lot IQ-wise. I think that’s going to help him a lot, just to have those strong basics underneath him. Even having the experience of getting out there and having the starting experience. He knows he’s been in that situation before where he hasn’t been counted in, but he’s surprised people with an opportunity. If he has the opportunity and the time to prefer, I think he’ll be able to do some good things.”
The Path to Georgia
DawgsHQ: This has been an interesting road to Georgia, from high school and everything there on. It’s been a winding road. What’s it been like for you as a family to navigate all of that and to now land in this place?
HR: “Well, I’ll start backwards. Landing here, in my opinion, is a blessing for our family and for him. The recruiting process, we watched it escalate. He had his first offer in eighth grade. Next thing you know, first offer SEC, Mike Bobo. The list goes on. Watching your son go through that progression is exciting. It was exciting for us as a family. It was exciting for everybody. Obviously, we had the situation with NIL, which is what everyone talks about.
“There was a lot of learning on both sides with that. I don’t want to dive too deep into that, but that definitely was a setback to some degree. The people in our circles that really know us and know Jaden, that more so was unfortunate and didn’t represent who we are or who he is as a person or how we went about that process. It definitely got pretty wild. That part had its difficulties, such as being portrayed that way. Social media and all of those things circulate pretty fast, and people are writing all of these stories. I think we got through that part. That was bump in the road.
“Even with that being said, we’re just really thankful he had the process he had. I mean, you have to take it all as part of learning, as part of growing. At the end of the day, he was blessed to have the recruiting process he did. He had a lot of different options from different schools. He got to compete with guys. He ended up where he ended up, but as it stands today, he’s a Georgia Bulldogs. I think this has been the righting of the wrong. He got to be where he’s wanted to be all along. I can’t ask for more. I’m really excited. You never really know how it’s going to go. You just have to stay committed to the process and stay focused. Nothing comes easy.
“He hasn’t had an easy run, but he’s been resilient. He’s been more resilient than I can imagine. There’s a huge amount of being very proud of him as a young man and everything he’s handled. I don’t think I could’ve handled it as well as he’s handled it. So, some of that has battle tested him, and he brings that to the next level and the next stop here. I think he’s in a good situation now to take whatever comes his way.”
Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Jaden Rashada (5) throws a pass to tight end Jalin Conyers (12) against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds in the first half at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Aug. 31, 2023.
DawgsHQ: There’s more these guys than just what happens on the field. Who is Jaden without a ball in his hands?
HR: “He’s like the light in our family. He comes into the room, and he’s just funny. He has a real lighthearted demeanor about him. He doesn’t take things too seriously about himself. He likes to do a lot of different things. He’s picked up hunting. He just went on a hunting trip with one of his linemen going after some pheasants. He’s gotten into that. He’s gotten into some offroad stuff. He’s started liking the hockey stuff.
“He’s just young, man, and he’s energetic and open to a lot of different things. He’s a great friend to people, too. All of those things, even those little pieces, made the decision a little more difficult. That’s what it is right now. He’s a great kid, who’s lighthearted and open. He loves people. He loves helping people. I don’t usually tell this story, but when he was in high school, he took a job working at the Christmas tree place. I’d pick him, and he was still playing ball.
“It was his junior year, and he’d have tar on his boots working for the Christmas tree guy. Long story short, he’d made up his mind he was going to save money to actually put together baskets we were going to go give out to homeless people. We did that. He ordered things off of Amazon and got all the baskets, about 60 of them. On Christmas Day, we went out and handed them out to the homeless and spreading them around.
“We did it on Christmas Day, and it was about, ‘Hey, we have a lot to be thankful for.’ He just wanted to give. It changed our whole holiday from a family perspective. It put things into a different light. That’s the heart he has. He has a really giving heart, and he’s a better person than he is a football player. That’s what I’m proud about with Jaden.”
DawgsHQ: Do you have a message for the Georgia faithful about this opportunity or how the Rashada family feels about being part of Georgia football?
HR: “Hey man, we’re fired up. We’re fired up. We’re fired up to come down to Athens and go to games. I’ve seen the videos, and I think your fan base is awesome. I think you guys have a great football culture down there. The SEC is different, and they’re at the top of that deal for a reason. I’m excited to get down there and support this kid. He’s excited to come down here, and excited is an understatement. We’re just really thankful to be a part of this Bulldog family. Shoot man, Go Dawgs. I’m excited. I can’t wait to see it.”
The post In His Own Words: Harlen Rashada, father of Jaden Rashada, on path to Georgia appeared first on On3.
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