Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel said he hadn’t communicated with Nico Iamaleava since the quarterback skipped Friday’s practice, escalating a dispute over NIL pay into his stunning departure from the program.
“Today’s landscape of college football is different than what it has been. It’s unfortunate, just the situation and where we’re at with Nico,” Heupel said following the Orange and White spring game at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
“I want to thank him for everything that he’s done since he’s gotten here. Obviously, we’re moving forward as a program without him. There’s no one that’s bigger than the Power T and that includes me.”
Iamaleava skipped practice on Friday and cut off communication with the coaching staff. Before the spring game Saturday, Heupel told the team UT was moving forward without Iamaleava, the starting quarterback and former five-star recruit.
When Heupel came to the podium on Saturday, he still hadn’t gotten in touch with Iamaleava despite several attempts. Heupel said he knew the Vols had to cut ties with Iamaleava on “Friday morning when he’s a no-show. You come off the practice field and there’s no communication.”
Tennessee will add a quarterback from the transfer portal
In Iamaleava’s absence, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and freshman George MacIntyre played quarterback in the spring game. They had highs and lows, but UT must add another scholarship quarterback to an already thin position.
“You’re always evaluating what you have on your roster, where you’re I’m gonna say vulnerable, where numbers might not be right (because of) injuries or whatever,” Heupel said. “You’re trying to get your roster where it needs to be to give yourself the best chance when you get to kick off in the fall.
“And certainly with only two scholarship players at the quarterback position,…
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Publish date : 2025-04-12 21:18:00
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