Tennessee Volunteers Football

Nico Iamaleava is on his way out of Tennessee after failed contract negotiations led to the Vols moving on from the quarterback.

Iamaleava was already one of the highest-paid players in college sports as he was reportedly expected to make $2.4 million in 2025, but he wanted more from the Vols and didn't get it.

According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, the young quarterback was "a victim of taking bad advice." Breer also reported that staffers around the NFL and college football think Iamaleava's family "perhaps focused too much on what they can collectively make now, and not on what’s coming."

Iamaleava, who took over as Tennessee's starter last year, had a decent first year with 2,616 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions, which was enough to take the Vols to the College Football Playoffs.

The 20-year-old was presumably set to make a leap in 2025 and perhaps be ready for the NFL draft next year, but now his future is a bit more uncertain.

With spring practices already underway, most top teams already have their starting quarterback for the 2025 season and will likely pass on Iamaleava—or at least pass on giving him the kind of money he was seeking from Tennessee.

That could lead to Iamaleava landing a less sought-after role than that which he had with the Vols, and he'll almost certainly not command as much NIL money wherever he lands.

Things could work better for Iamaleava than they would have had he stayed at Tennessee, but for now, it's hard to describe his approach as anything other than confusing.

The inevitable has arrived. The lawless, structureless, complicated universe of college football in the NIL era has produced its first—and certainly not last—high-profile breakup.

Perhaps the only surprise is that it took this long for turmoil to arise. Now, one can only hope that actual change is coming next.

For Tennessee, that turmoil has come and gone. The team's starting quarterback from a season ago, Nico Iamaleava, one of the biggest recruits this program has ever produced, is gone. Just like that.

The details surrounding the breakup may vary depending on the source, which is typical surrounding messy separations. Regardless of how we arrived here, the Vols made the news official Saturday as the program’s spring game loomed.

"I want to thank him for everything he's done since he's gotten here, as a recruit and who he was as a player and how he competed inside the building," Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said. "Obviously, we're moving forward as a program without him. I said it to the guys today. There's no one that's bigger than the Power T. That includes me."

The rumors of missed meetings, unfulfilled NIL obligations and other dirt that often materializes in these situations has surfaced since the news went public. Make no mistake about it, however: This decision comes down to money. Well, and leverage.

Iamaleava was reportedly scheduled to make $2.4 million this season, and his representation was looking for more.

In his first year as the program’s starting QB, Iamaleava threw for 2,616 yards and accounted for 22 touchdowns. While his game-to-game performance was often up and down, he led Tennessee to the College Football Playoff.

When backed into a corner, Tennessee, which has the resources to meet Iamaleava’s reported demands of $4 million, decided to end the relationship there. And in doing so both suddenly and emphatically, perhaps the universities will gain some influence for the first time in quite a while.

"This program has been around for a long time," Heupel added. "There are a lot of great coaches, a lot of great players who came before that laid the cornerstone pieces, the legacy, the tradition that is Tennessee football. It's going to be around a long time after I'm gone and after they're gone."

Years ago, before paying players was legal, “bag men” were the true market-movers.  The drama between a player, his family and the school would be handled behind closed doors.

No one benefited from these disagreements going public. The stakes for both the athletes and schools were too high. Thus, any issues, no matter the source, were largely kept under wraps.

But now?

It’s all very public. It’s all very messy.

Although up until now, players (and their representatives) have found a way to make it work with schools through both recruiting and the transfer portal. Coaches have bemoaned the process every step of the way, seemingly begging for help, and it’s hard not to see why.

With rosters turning over each and every year—multiple times a year—the only constant currently blanketing college athletics is that of self-indulgence and change.

Tennessee’s situation in itself should represent the desperate need for something more. There is now real, tangible evidence of just how warped this universe has become, even if we knew this long before things turned.

Whether you commend Tennessee for holding firm or not seems almost unimportant. Regardless of what side you choose, neither Tennessee nor Iamaleava should have been put in the position to blow up this arrangement to begin with.

There must be structure. There must be rules. There must be a protocol to pay players and keep players on the roster, without seeing the sport swallow itself whole in the transfer portal every year.

The players must be protected. The schools must be protected. The sport must be given more tools to maintain integrity across conferences, unifying in a way it simply hasn’t cared to approach.

This isn’t an Iamaleava problem, whether you agree with the negotiating tactics or not. This is a product of creating an unstable environment and choosing to do nothing about it.

Even larger, this is what happens when a fractured sport consumed by wealth finds itself in a state of paralysis time and time again.

Institutions are in for revenue—through television dollars or enrollment benefits. Conferences are looking out for their members, in constant search of income streams, playoff access and other methods of profitability.

Players undoubtedly care about general fit, coaching staff and classic program attributes, but the dollars now speak loudest of all. And the NCAA, once a roadblock to change, is now largely along for the ride after various courtrooms deconstructed its rulebook over the past decade.

So, who is looking out for the sport as a whole?

The answer, quite simply, is no one. We’ve batted around the idea of a commissioner for some while. Heck, Nick Saban’s name has been floated a time or two since he retired from the sideline.

But like most things surrounding college football, the best ideas often take a while to materialize. Some never truly do.

If there’s anything that can come from this nastiness, it’s a hope for change. It’s a hope that teams, conferences and perhaps even the government can align to produce a system that still allows for players to be compensated in more direct and understandable ways.

And that’s not all. The transfer portal, which serves as the gasoline to this colossal dumpster fire, needs an overhaul. From the rules to the tampering to the dates that the portal opens, a change that needs to be revisited most of all, must be reexamined.

We’ve seen now what a structureless world can produce. We’ve heard from those operating in this world and how much they detest it.

It’s not the money; it’s the inability to create a stable landscape. It’s a world that needs immense repairs, although no one quite knows where to begin.

Tennessee, in a way, has changed the conversation in one weekend. A major football program has shown as publicly and emphatically as it possibly can that this cannot be the standard.

This has to be the turning point. The thing that was always going to happen with sanity and structure sitting this out has happened. Now, once and for all, through whatever means necessary, it must change. 

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel addressed the departure of quarterback Nico Iamaleava on Saturday.

“Man, listen, it’s the state of college football,” Heupel said on The Vol Network radio broadcast (h/t Grant Ramey of On3.com). “At the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program. That includes me, too. We’ve got an opportunity. We’ve got a bunch of guys that will give their all for Tennessee."

“We move forward," he added. "Got a great group. Let’s go compete.”

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that the Volunteers were "moving on" from Iamaleava after he missed meetings and practice on Friday.

He was negotiating a new NIL deal with Tennessee prior to his exit, per Pete Nakos of On3.com.

Iamaleava was seeking an increased deal before the winter portal ended, with Thamel reporting that his representatives asked for his agreement to rise to the $4 million range.

The signal-caller was making $2.4 million on a contract that was reported to be worth $8 million when he first signed it. The overall value of the deal would have been closer to $10 million after he started receiving payments in high school, though (via Thamel).

Iamaleava has submitted paperwork to enter the transfer portal, according to Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger.

The 20-year-old suited up in 13 games for the Vols in 2024, completing 63.8 percent of his passes for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns compared to five interceptions.

Nico ➡️ Dont'e ➡️ Six

📲https://t.co/vNztc0T4s4
📺ABC pic.twitter.com/ekjUxnqMAq

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) November 30, 2024

Tennessee finished with a record of 10-3, making a College Football Playoff appearance.

With Iamaleava no longer in the mix, Heupel's squad now has an opening at quarterback. The top internal candidates to replace him under center are Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre.

Merklinger appeared in just two games as a true freshman during his 2024 campaign, completing six of his nine pass attempts for 48 yards.

MacIntyre was listed as the No. 13 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Thamel also reported that Tennessee has "already begun reaching out to third parties" regarding possible Iamaleava replacements for the 2025 season.

The Vols will now look to figure out their quarterback situation as they attempt to finish with a winning record for the fifth consecutive year under Heupel.

The contract standoff between Nico Iamaleava and Tennessee has come to a swift end with the quarterback no longer being part of the team.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel told the team on Saturday they were "moving on" from Iamaleava after he skipped meetings and practice on Friday.

Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger added Iamaleava submitted paperwork to the school to enter the transfer portal. Adam Gorney of Rivals and Yahoo Sports reported that USC will not be pursuing Iamaleava once he enters the portal.

Pete Nakos of On3.com reported on Thursday that Iamaleava and Tennessee were having "active negotiations" about a new NIL deal for the 2025 season.

When no agreement came to be prior to the Vols' first spring practice on Friday, Thamel reported Iamaleava was a no-show for the event in what was said to be a "surprise" to coaches and players.

Thamel also noted the situation has "become a growing source of frustration" among Tennessee administrators and within the locker room.

Among the teams Iamaleava expressed interest in joining in the transfer portal was Oregon, according to Thamel. Tennessee "was aware that Iamaleava's representatives had reached out to at least one other school, Oregon, prior to the start of spring practice," per Thamel.

However, the Ducks said they weren't interested in the quarterback, Thamel added.

It's unclear what type of deal Iamaleava is seeking. He originally committed to the Volunteers in 2022 on an NIL contract that was reportedly worth up to $8 million.

The quarterback market has changed significantly in the three years since that agreement. Carson Beck and Darian Mensah are believed to be making $4 million in 2025 after transferring to new schools in December.

According to Thamel, it could be "difficult" for Iamaleava to potentially find an NIL deal roughly equivalent to the mid-$2 million range he would have made at Tennessee in the transfer portal right now because schools have already structured their salaries for 2025 already.

Iamaleava's departure also leaves Tennessee with a void to fill at starting quarterback for next season.

Jake Merklinger, a 4-star recruit in the 2024 class, is the top signal-caller on the roster. He made two appearances as a true freshman, completing six of his nine pass attempts.

George MacIntyre was penciled in as the No. 3 quarterback on the roster. He is a 4-star prospect and No. 13 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports.

Thamel reported Tennessee officials have started reaching out to third parties who could potentially replace Iamaleava.

Jaden Rashada, who spent last year at Georgia, is the top-ranked uncommitted quarterback in the transfer portal. He has had contact with three Group of Five programs, including Connecticut, Tulane and Western Kentucky, per Nakos.

The spring transfer window runs from April 16-25.

Iamaleava took over as Tennessee's starter last season. He threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns in 13 games, leading the Vols to a 10-3 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff where they lost to Ohio State in the first round.

Nico Iamaleava is apparently holding out while waiting for a new NIL deal from the University of Tennessee.

Austin Price of On3.com first reported that Iamaleava was not at Tennessee's spring practice on Friday.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, the third-year quarterback skipped the practice amid ongoing contract talks with the program.

Thamel noted Iamaleava's absence came as a surprise to Tennessee's coaching staff.

While holdouts have not yet become common practice in the NIL era of college football, it is a tactic that has been used before.

UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka announced on Sept. 25 he was utilizing a redshirt year to sit out the remainder of the season after playing in three games. Sluka's representatives told ESPN's Max Olson his client left the program after only receiving $3,000 on a verbal promise to pay a minimum of $100,000.

Pete Nakos of On3.com reported on Thursday that Iamaleava and the Volunteers were in "active negotiations" about a deal for the 2025 season.

Nic Iamaleava, Nico's father, denied the report in a post on X, writing he "had no idea" what Nakos was talking about when asked to comment on the story.

Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava, amid reports that he wanted to renegotiate his NIL deal, did not show at Friday morning’s practice, sources told ESPN, and it was a surprise to Tennessee staff members and players. Iamaleava’s reps denied Thursday there was any renegotiation talk.

— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) April 11, 2025

A 5-star recruit coming out of Warren High School in 2022, Iamaleava reportedly received an NIL deal worth up to $8 million from Tennessee when he committed to the program.

Chris Low of ESPN reported Iamaleava's reps "wanted to see his deal upped to $4 million range." However, Low reported that Tennessee officials said they "weren't going to blink."

There has been speculation that Iamaleava is seeking a boost in pay, particularly in the wake of other quarterbacks using the transfer portal to secure lucrative compensation deals.

Carson Beck and Darian Mensah are believed to be making $4 million annually at their new schools after transferring in December. Beck went from Georgia to Miami, while Mensah left Tulane to join Duke.

Iamaleava's decision to skip Tennessee's spring practice comes days before the spring transfer window opens on April 16.

CBS Sports' Chris Hummer, Brandon Huffman and John Talty reported there have been rumors over the past week that Iamaleava could be interested in exploring the transfer portal, but one person at Tennessee "expressed little concern" about the program's standing with the 20-year-old.

After playing behind Joe Milton during his freshman year in 2023, Iamaleava was the Vols' starting quarterback last season. He threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns in 13 games.

Tennessee finished 10-3 and made the College Football Playoff as the No. 9 seed. The Vols lost 42-17 in the first round to eventual national champion Ohio State.

The expanded use of the transfer portal in today's college football world means teams around the country have the opportunity to bolster their depth charts with key additions every year.

But it also means convincing your own players to remain, which is reportedly what Tennessee is trying to do with quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Pete Nakos of On 3 reported Thursday the Volunteers and Iamaleava are undergoing "active contract negotiations ahead of the 2025 season" that may or may not "impact whether he enters the spring transfer portal."

Tennessee can ill-afford to be hit too hard in the spring transfer portal, at least on offense.

Patrick Brown of 247Sports noted the Volunteers lost 14 scholarship players when the winter portal was open, including five wide receivers, two running backs and a contributor at tight end. One of those wide receivers was two-year starter Squirrel White, who ended up at Florida State.

But Iamaleava would be the biggest loss if he did leave.

He was a 5-star prospect and the No. 2 overall quarterback in the recruiting class of 2023, per 247Sports' composite rankings. While he didn't play much as a freshman, he was the starting quarterback and helped lead the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff as a sophomore in 2024.

Iamaleava completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions while adding 358 yards and three scores on the ground as a runner. He led the team to wins over Alabama, Florida, and Oklahoma, among others, and figures to take another step in 2025 with that experience under his belt.

The question, though, is whether he will be taking that step for Tennessee or a different team.

And the answer to that question will determine the Volunteers' ceiling considering they are also losing running back Dylan Sampson, defensive end James Pearce Jr., and wide receivers Bru McCoy and Dont'e Thornton Jr. from last season's team in addition to the portal losses.

Given that roster reality, Iamaleava has plenty of leverage in any contract negotiations with a football program that will surely need him to remain among the best teams in the SEC.

Following the ninth-ranked SEC Tennessee Volunteers' 42-17 blowout loss to the eighth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is facing significant backlash after criticizing the College Football Playoff committee's decisions and voicing his disdain over the lack of SEC teams.

Kiffin's 9-3 Ole Miss Rebels were left out of the 12-team College Football Playoff, which led to his frustration on social media regarding the blowout losses of SMU and Indiana.

After SMU's 38-10 loss to Penn State on Saturday, Kiffin tweeted this:

Way to keep us on the edge of our seats Committee …. Riveting

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) December 21, 2024

In addition to SMU's blowout, the Indiana Hoosiers also lost 27-17 to Notre Dame on Friday.

Although Texas represented the SEC well in the College Football Playoff with a win over Clemson, the Tennessee Volunteers did not hold up its end of the bargain with a disastrous loss to Ohio State.

Kiffin posted his thoughts prior to the Volunteers' game, but ironically, he has not been heard from since then:

Let’s go VOLS!!!!! @Vol_Football https://t.co/Ey44MVpQKy

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) December 22, 2024

College football fans flooded social media following the Volunteers' loss to roast Kiffin over his SEC comments:

Wellness check? pic.twitter.com/NgpcPt9X4Y

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) December 22, 2024

Live shot of Lane Kiffin right now... pic.twitter.com/mJXv2Ay5QI

— THE Ram U (@CSURamT) December 22, 2024

Lane Kiffin is awfully quiet tonight pic.twitter.com/OE1P5ossHz

— Legion of Orange (@SnapAgainThanos) December 22, 2024

The biggest loser of this Tennessee game is somehow Lane Kiffin

— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) December 22, 2024

https://twitter.com/gnat_rhule/status/1870663222757654811

Lane Kiffin tweeting about all the teams getting blown out except for the SEC one pic.twitter.com/n5TTMfjHjo

— Pregame Empire (@PregameEmpire) December 22, 2024

Lane Kiffin hasn’t tweeted in the past hour.

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 22, 2024

Did someone steal Lane Kiffin's phone?

— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) December 22, 2024

BREAKING: SEC throat goat @Lane_Kiffin MISSING pic.twitter.com/Osej0GYOBC

— ThrowBackFrog (@ThrowBackFrog) December 22, 2024

Kiffin opened himself up to criticism and received plenty of it on social media.

The quarterfinals will kick off on Dec. 31, starting with Penn State and Boise State in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.

Ahead of Tennessee's first-round College Football Playoff matchup against Ohio State on Saturday, Volunteers fans had an elite troll for Buckeyes supporters.

The game will be played in Columbus at Ohio Stadium, but one Vols fan took the liberty of renaming the stadium "Neyland North" on Apple Maps, suggesting Tennessee fans are going to fill the stadium so much that it will feel like Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.

Which one of y’all changed Ohio Stadium to Neyland North on Apple Maps 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/8A2swge5Yx

— Alan (@smokiesvol) December 18, 2024

Though it might be extreme to suggest Tennessee fans will outnumber their Ohio State counterparts on Saturday, there will certainly be plenty in attendance.

Per the Knoxville News Sentinel's Allison Kiehl, StubHub said that buyers from Tennessee account for 37 percent of tickets sold on the site compared to 34 percent from Ohio.

Kiehl also reported that 42 percent of tickets sold on SeatGeek have gone to Tennesseeans and just 23 percent have gone to Ohio residents.

The ticket sales report comes after Ohio State athletics director Ross Bjork asked Buckeyes fans not to sell their tickets to "rabid" Tennessee fans.

"What we need Buckeyes to do is wear scarlet (and) don't sell your tickets, because Tennessee fans, they're rabid fans," Bjork told The Fan 97.1's "Morning Juice" (h/t 247Sports' Ryan Callahan). "They're going to try to invade 'The Shoe,' so let's make sure we don't have as much orange in there as people think. I think it's just going to be an awesome atmosphere."

Of course, Ohio State has the advantage of season-ticket holders and student tickets, but the numbers from StubHub and SeatGeek indicate there will be plenty of Buckeyes fans in attendance this weekend.

The No. 7-seeded Vols are playing in their first College Football Playoff and will have to get past a road battle to punch a ticket to the quarterfinals against top-ranked Oregon.

The No. 6 Buckeyes come into the matchup on the heels of an upset loss to rival Michigan at home, which should boost the Vols' confidence.

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava will reportedly be ready to go against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Chris Low of ESPN reported that the freshman quarterback will return to the lineup for the team's Week 12 matchup against Georgia. He had left the team's Week 11 victory over Mississippi State after suffering a head injury and entering concussion protocol.

Nico Iamaleava is set to return to the lineup as @Vol_Football’s starting QB vs. Georgia on Saturday night, sources tell ESPN. Iamaleava practiced this week, including team periods, after suffering a blow to the head and missing the 2nd half last week in the Miss. State win.

— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) November 16, 2024

He had been listed as questionable for the game but Low's report confirms that the Volunteers will be operating at full strength for the matchup against their SEC rival.

Iamaleava has thrown for 1,879 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions while leading Tennessee to an 8-1 start to the season.

The program is currently ranked No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings and a win over Georgia would be a big boost to the team's hopes of locking up a spot in the 12-team bracket

Navigating that game without Iamaleava would have been a tough task so having him under center will be huge. The Volunteers have not defeated the Bulldogs since 2016 and will have to enter Sanford Stadium to pull off the victory.

The matchup is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is in concussion protocol heading into a critical matchup against Georgia on Saturday, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Iamaleava exited the first half of the Vols' win over Mississippi State on Saturday and did not return for the remainder of the contest.

According to Thamel, Iamaleava practiced on Tuesday, but his status for Saturday's meeting in Athens is undetermined.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said after the game that leaving Iamaleava off the field in the second half on Saturday was a "precautionary measure" and that he'd be "ready roll next Saturday."

After Monday's practice, Heupel once again reiterated that Iamaleava could be ready to go by Saturday.

"He was with us today, had a really good day," Heupel said, per 247Sports' Patrick Brown. "Feel like he'll be in great shape for Saturday, but you guys can monitor whatever the report is that comes out on Wednesday and track it through the week. But certainly feel like he'll be in a good spot."

Tennessee will release SEC-mandated availability reports on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, which will give more insight into Iamaleava's status as the matchup gets closer.

Iamaleava, the No. 3 nationally ranked player in the Class of 2023 by 247Sports Composite, has 1,879 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions through nine games. The redshirt freshman has also picked up 215 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Last week in the first half against Mississippi State, he threw for 174 yards and two touchdowns on 8-of-13 passing.

Backup quarterback Gaston Moore replaced Iamaleava in the second half and completed five of his eight passes for 38 passing yards. Should Iamaleava be unable to play against the Bulldogs on Saturday, Moore would presumably start in his place.

The No. 7 Vols' matchup with No. 3 Georgia on Saturday comes with plenty of College Football Playoff and SEC championship implications. Should Tennessee leave Athens with a win, it would likely clinch a CFP spot so long as the Vols take care of business against UTEP and Vanderbilt to close out the year.

Tennessee could also get one step closer to securing a trip to the SEC championship with the win as it currently sits in the driver's seat in the conference at 5-1.

Winning the high-stakes game would be significantly harder without Iamaleava on the field.