Is Nico Iamaleava going to be the starting quarterback for the Tennessee football team in 2025? Earlier this week, this wasn't even a question that was on people's minds. However, things have changed in a big way and Vols fans are starting to worry.
On Friday morning, Iamaleava was a no-show for practice and now due to his contract talks, it's up in the air if he'll be on hand for the spring game on Saturday or not. According to ESPN's Chris Low, Iamaleava's reps asked Tennessee for around $4 million per season back in the winter.
Now, Iamaleava and Co. are once again hoping that kind of dough will be put on the table, but Low's sources have told him that Tennessee officials won't blink here. So, what's next between the two sides? Your guess is as good as ours:
Right before the winter portal closed, Iamaleava’s reps wanted to see his deal upped to $4 million range and again this time as the spring portal opens Wednesday, and according to sources, Tennessee officials said they “weren’t going to blink.”
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) April 11, 2025
Nico Iamaleava is reportedly looking for $4 million per season for his new NIL deal
Before joining the program, Iamaleava landed an $8 million NIL deal. This was a while back, however, and the QB market has of course changed. Still, $4 million per season? This seems way over the top and it's a number Tennessee quite clearly isn't going to touch.
Last season, Iamaleava officially took over as the team's starting quarterback and he played a massive role in the Vols winning 10 games and reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time. However, few can argue that he was a bit inconsistent at times, especially with his downfield throws.
He improved in that area as the season went on. He finished with 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions, with a 70.5 QBR. Yes, Nico was fun to watch and he's considered one of the best SEC signal-callers ahead of the '25 campaign. However, if he and his reps think the Vols are going to come up with his new contract demands, they've surely got another thing coming.