Tennessee Moves On From Nico Iamaleava After NIL Dispute

Tennessee Moves On From Nico Iamaleava After NIL Dispute

The Tennessee Volunteers are going to need a new starting quarterback heading into the 2025-26 College Football Season. Nico Iamaleava wanted more NIL money and even started to sit out of practice in order to make his demands happen. The Vols called his bluff and are now moving on from the man Chickster calls “The Floor Is Lava”.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the news:

Sources: Tennessee is moving on from starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel informed the team of the decision at a team meeting this morning. Iamaleava missed meetings and practice on Friday, which was the driver of this decision. pic.twitter.com/BsdhJMDXiz

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 12, 2025

By the way, today is Tennessee’s Spring Game, and since Iamaleava isn’t with the team, this could have been the straw to push things in this direction. Iamaleava is destined to enter the transfer portal, which opens next week.

Iamaleava, 20, didn’t really have a great season last year. Morally, I’d have a tough time asking for more money given his overall level of performance. He posted a 19-5 TD to INT ratio last year, which is way worse than numbers that guys like Hendon Hooker or even Joe Milton posted.

The talent is undeniable. We’re talking about a former five star prospect who checks in at 6-foot-6 and can move. We just haven’t seen it fully come together yet. Without taking any real strides as a passer, I get why the Vols moved on. Again, I’d have a tough time asking for more money after coming off a mediocre season.

What Should Tennessee Fans Expect From Nico Iamaleava?

Welcome to the new world of college football. This whole thing sucks. It all stems from greed and outside parties that stick their nose where it doesn’t belong.

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