Starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava is out at Tennessee amid a contract dispute, multiple outlets reported Saturday.
Tennessee will play its spring Orange & White game without Iamaleava on Saturday, and he is no longer with the program, per reports.
“It’s the state of college football,” coach Josh Heupel said Saturday of the situation on Vol Network. “At the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program. That includes me too.”
Iamaleava and the school had been in discussions over his name, image and likeness money. The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that Iamaleava, 20, wanted an increase from his more than $2 million annual NIL package, with ESPN adding he was seeking to double that amount.
He didn’t show up to practice on Friday and is not speaking with coaches, and that apparently was the final straw for Heupel and Tennessee.
The spring transfer portal opens Wednesday, and Iamaleava already has filled out the papers to enter. As a redshirt sophomore, he will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Without Iamaleava, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and freshman George MacIntyre move into the lead for the starting job. Heupel also could look to the portal for an experienced QB.
“We got two guys in that room, excited to watch them go play,” Heupel said. “They’ve had a really good spring. They’ve grown throughout it. Excited about having a chance today to get out in front of our fans and watch them go compete today.”
ESPN reported that officials from Tennessee’s NIL collective already are in contact with representatives for potential 2025 quarterbacks.
Iamaleava played sparingly as a freshman in 2023 before taking over the starting role last fall. In his first season as a starter, he completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns against five interceptions, leading Tennessee to a 10-3 record and a College Football Playoff appearance.
The Vols finished ninth in the final AP poll following their 42-17 first-round loss to eventual champion Ohio State.
When Iamaleava was in high school in Southern California, 247Sports ranked him as the No. 2 quarterback and the No. 2 player in the nation, behind Arch Manning, in the Class of 2023.
–Field Level Media
