Tennessee football players have every right to be furious with Nico Iamaleava

A new wrinkle has been added to the Nico Iamaleava NIL saga: The former five-star quarterback did not show up for Friday's spring practice. 

This comes after reports of Nico seeking a new NIL deal, up from his original $2 million deal when he initially signed with Tennessee. The request from Nico's camp was reportedly $4 million, doubling the original agreement. 

As a result, Tennessee is reportedly not budging with the new demands. Nico did not show up to Friday's practice, the final practice before Tennessee's spring game.

ESPN's Chris Low added more fuel to the fire, sharing that players and the administration have been frustrated by the situation.

The players have every right to be upset regarding the situation. It was understood that Nico received a new deal at the end of the December transfer portal window, keeping him on Rocky Top for the next year, but Nico and his camp continue to add strife to the situation as they vie for more money. 

It has been a distraction in the locker room and throughout the program if there is frustration from all angles, leading me to believe this is not about simply improving his NIL deal but a negotiation strategy to get Nico paid, no matter the result. 

If Tennessee doesn't budge, Nico could skip out on the Orange and White Game, enter the transfer portal, and look to other Power 4 programs to receive the raise he wants. 

The frustration among players could lead to more entering the portal over the situation, whether he stays or not, making it a challenging situation for Josh Heupel and the Vols. 

The Vols are wrapping up spring camp with the Orange and White Game scheduled for April 12. The game will start at 2:00 PM ET but won't be televised. You can tune into Vol Network's family of networks to listen to the festivities.