The news that Tennessee football fans were hoping would never come - it just dropped. Over the past few days, nothing but drama has surrounded the team thanks to Nico Iamaleava not being happy with his current NIL deal. Now, Iamaleava won't be playing for the Vols again.
According to reporter Pete Thamel, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel informed his team during a meeting on Saturday morning that the program is officially moving on. That's right, Iamaleava has officially played his last snap for the SEC powerhouse, which is a stunning turn of events.
Sources: Tennessee is moving on from starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel informed the team of the decision at a team meeting this morning. Iamaleava missed meetings and practice on Friday, which was the driver of this decision. pic.twitter.com/BsdhJMDXiz
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 12, 2025
Josh Heupel has informed his Tennessee players that Nico Iamaleava is no longer with the team
Before we go into anything else, it looks like plenty of people owe On3's Pete Nakos an apology. He was the first to cover the contract drama, which was followed up with Iamaleava's father blasting him on social media.
On Saturday morning, Nakos also reported that Iamaleava is planning to enter the transfer portal on April 16 when things open up, which isn't a surprise at all. Moving forward, countless people are going to be left wondering what could have been for Iamaleava with Tennessee.
Prior to making the move to UT, he put the pen to paper on an NIL deal worth around $8 million. He made his way to campus as a 5-star prospect and the No. 2 quarterback in the country for the 2023 class. The expectations were high for him, but Iamaleava backed things up with a 10-win season in Year 1 as the starter in 2024, along with a trip to the College Football Playoff.
Money was always the issue here, however, especially with the quarterback market changing over the past year. Iamaleava will now look for his next payday elsewhere, while the Vols are in need of a new starter for 2025.
Jake Merklinger, ranked the No. 11 QB for the 2024 class, is now the favorite to win the job. Might another big-name QB enter the portal next week for the Vols to go after? Buckle up, as something tells us more huge news for Tennessee could be on the way soon enough.