Tennessee moving on from Nico Iamaleava: Vols parting with star QB amid NIL contract dispute

Tennessee is moving on from starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, ending a high-stakes standoff that had engulfed the program just days before the spring transfer portal window opens, sources confirmed to CBS Sports. 

Iamaleava’s departure, just months after leading Tennessee to the College Football Playoff in his debut as a starter, follows a strange day of tension between the two sides, including a skipped practice on Friday that sources said was not communicated to the coaching staff in advance.

Iamaleava, who was ranked as the No. 2 player nationally in the 2023 recruiting class, was the face of one of the most prominent NIL commitments of the early Name, Image and Likeness era. Tennessee’s affiliated collective reportedly struck a deal worth $8 million while recruiting Iamaleava out of Southern California, and university officials, including Chancellor Donde Plowman, staunchly defended the quarterback during an NCAA inquiry into his eligibility.

That level of institutional support, however, has eroded in recent days. ESPN reported Friday that Iamaleava’s camp was seeking a new NIL package worth around $4 million annually — nearly double his original deal. While representatives close to the quarterback publicly denied the existence of negotiations to CBS Sports, the internal mood inside Tennessee’s program shifted quickly. Sources described the team as “fed up,” with coaches frustrated by both the optics and the timing of the dispute, just one day before the team’s Orange & White spring game.

Iamaleava’s statistical output in 2024 was solid, if not spectacular. He completed 63.8% of his passes for 2,614 yards and 19 touchdowns with five interceptions. In Tennessee’s 10 wins, his efficiency rating soared to 165.3. But in three…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/tennessee-moving-on-from-nico-iamaleava-vols-parting-with-star-qb-amid-nil-contract-dispute/

Author : Chris Hummer

Publish date : 2025-04-12 13:54:00

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