Tennessee, Nico Iamaleava breaking up after shocking $10 million NIL drama

Following a College Football Playoff quality pinch Nico Iamaleava starting nether center, Tennessee is now headed successful a different direction.

“Tennessee is moving connected from starting backmost Nico Iamaleava,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Saturday morning. “Tennessee coach Josh Heupel informed nan squad of nan determination astatine a squad gathering this morning. Iamaleava missed meetings and believe connected Friday, which was nan driver of this decision.”

Iamaleava has been successful nan news for nan past fewer days for nan rocky week that has led to this decision.

It was first reported that Iamaleava was successful NIL statement disputes pinch Tennessee, which was noteworthy considering nan Spring transportation portal opens April 16. 

Iamaleava was attempting to renegotiate his $10 cardinal woody pinch nan schoolhouse and Tennessee became alert that nan QB’s squad had reached retired to Oregon astir a imaginable transfer, ESPN reported.

Oregon was not willing and a Vols root told nan website that “we weren’t going to flinch this clip either.”

He past didn’t supply nan Volunteers aliases their fans immoderate assurance aliases clarity surrounding nan business erstwhile he skipped Friday’s believe amidst nan statement negotiations.

His absence astatine believe reportedly came arsenic a surprise to coaches and players, arsenic it was becoming progressively clear that play was stirring connected ol’ Rocky Top.

This move comes conscionable hours earlier Tennessee plays its yearly outpouring crippled today, wherever Iamaleava will not beryllium present.

Iamaleava’s departure leaves conscionable 2 danasiwa quarterbacks connected nan roster, pinch redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger nan apt starter moving guardant and existent freshman George MacIntyre arsenic nan backup. Both youngsters were four-star prospects coming retired of precocious school.

The Volunteers will surely deed nan portal looking for a caller summation to nan backmost room, but pinch summertime camps opening soon, it would beryllium difficult to task nan imaginable summation arsenic a starter correct distant travel kickoff successful nan Fall.

Thamel reported that “officials from Tennessee’s corporate person already begun reaching retired to 3rd parties tied to imaginable Iamaleava replacements for 2025.”

Iamaleava now becomes apt nan astir sought-after subordinate successful nan transportation portal erstwhile it officially opens connected Wednesday.

But likewise to Tennessee’s caller situation, Iamaleava apt won’t find a soft and easy modulation straight into a team’s starting backmost position arsenic a precocious summation for illustration this could disrupt plans that teams person had successful spot for immoderate clip now.

Iamaleava primitively hails from Southern California and has 3 years of eligibility near pursuing his redshirt freshman play wherever he posted 19 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.