Where will former Tennessee Vols starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava end up? That's what a lot of people are wondering, as he has packed his bags and left Knoxville. It was a sad ending for the 5-star signee, who arrived in Tennessee as the nation's No. 2 quarterback for the 2023 class.
With his talent, the expectation is that several schools will be ready to make a run at trying to sign him once the portal opens up on Wednesday. However, we can already cross off one team that was rumored to be interested. That'd be Colorado.
Speculation has been growing on social media that the Buffs indeed would have interest in offering Iamaleava a head-turning deal to make the move to Boulder. If you ask head coach Deion Sanders, though, that's not going to happen:
Not True. & God bless we Good https://t.co/qo5t2u4nCV
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) April 13, 2025
Deion Sanders didn't waste time in saying Colorado won't have interest in Nico Iamaleava
With only a few words, Sanders made it clear that he's confident in his current quarterbacks room and that there's no space for Iamaleava. While Colorado may not be an option for him, plenty of other programs are considered to be top contenders.
The list includes North Carolina, USC, Texas Tech and others. The Tar Heels would make plenty of sense for Nico, as Bill Belichick and Co. could look to bring in a big-name signal-caller to run the offense this fall. It'd be a splash move for Belichick for his first season in Chapel Hill.
As for Tennessee, head man Josh Heupel is also going to be busy recruiting players via the spring transfer portal. Following the spring game on Saturday, he confirmed that Tennessee will be in the market to bring in a new QB, as Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre are the only two scholarship signal-callers on the roster.
Iamaleava spent just two seasons with the Vols, but he helped the team post 10 wins in 2024 and reach the College Football Playoff for the first time. He wasn't happy with his NIL deal, which led to the two sides parting ways. Soon enough, we'll see where he suits up next and which QB Tennessee brings in too.