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So Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is, according to reports, negotiating with the Vols to stay in Knoxville for the 2025 season.
That’s 14 weeks before the start of the college football season.
Welcome to the wild world of player empowerment, everyone. Or in the old-school negotiating parlance: leverage.
Unless Tennessee wants to intentionally crater its program, it will pay what Iamaleava wants. The only negative for Nico: If he doesn’t play at a high level – among the best at his position in college football – the locker room will eventually turn on him.
Iamaleava is talented but wasn’t exactly an elite player last season. In fact, he was barely among the top half of SEC quarterbacks.
The one thing we (think) we know: If he doesn’t reach a deal with Tennessee, he can’t, by conference mandate, play in the SEC in 2025. Unless he gets an attorney and sues the SEC ― which at this point in the world of player empowerment, wouldn’t surprise anyone.
Here are the top five landing spots for Iamaleava if he decides to leave Tennessee for more green:
Southern California
The road less traveled: back home to Long Beach, California. Forget about projected starter Jayden Maiava. He’s a solid player but he’s not Iamaleava.
Iamaleava knows what USC coach Lincoln Riley did with Heisman winner Caleb Williams, and how he developed two other Heisman winners (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray) and a Heisman finalist (Jalen Hurts) as coach of Oklahoma.
It’s the easy move with the least amount of complications and the greatest ceiling of all. Moving back to Los Angeles County and saving the USC program.
The only drawback: Playing in the Big Ten won’t be much easier than playing in the SEC.
North Carolina
Let’s see how serious new Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick is about this college thing.
His first…
Source link : https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2025/04/11/nico-iamaleava-tennessee-qb-transfer-landing-spots/83047950007/
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Publish date : 2025-04-11 19:35:00
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