The market has not been kind to former Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava since word broke that he intended to leave the Vols once the spring transfer window opened this week. Whether because of his erratic play on the field or his reportedly lofty contract demands off of it, it seems like every program that could have plausibly been a fit for Iamaleava has quickly shut down the possibility.
USC took their name out of contention almost immediately, as did Notre Dame and Texas Tech. Oregon was linked to the QB before his departure from Tennessee was even a done deal, but that turned out to be nothing more than a smokescreen. UNC? Not interested. Colorado? Ditto. Heck, even a G5 school like Tulane has decided to pass.
As the days went by and the options dwindled, fans started to wonder whether anyone would be willing to take a chance on Iamaleava in 2025. Which is why the latest development in his transfer saga is so interesting: Not only did the former five-star recruit officially hit the portal on Wednesday morning, but it sure seems like he already has a destination lined up.
'Do not contact' tag throws wrench into Nico Iamaleava transfer portal saga
Iamaleava entered the portal with a "do not contact" tag, essentially preventing any school from reaching out to him about the possibility of transferring. This has been a feature of the transfer portal since its inception, and it's typically used by players who have already made up their minds about where they're headed next and don't want a ton of unwanted calls blowing up their phones.
Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava has entered the transfer portal with a do not contact tag, @On3sports has learned. https://t.co/VxSGJETKD9 https://t.co/rUzphzplSN
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) April 16, 2025
Which raises some very interesting questions when it comes to Iamaleava. If his market really were as wide-open (to put it kindly) as it seems, surely he would want to solicit interest from all possible suitors. The fact that he's not allowing teams to contact him gives the impression that this is a done deal ... except, well, good luck figuring out just where he might be going.
Maryland might be an option; they still have that Under Armour money, after all, and there's a vacancy at QB after Billy Edwards transferred to Wisconsin over the winter. UCLA has been frequently linked to Iamaleava in recent days and hasn't done anything to dispute that notion just yet, but while it would bring the QB back to his home state, the Bruins' messy NIL situation raises questions about whether or not they can afford him.
Of course, it's always possible that a team comes out of nowhere, or that one of the previously mentioned programs swoops in and reveals that their public denials were little more than a diversion. Whatever the case, it's hard to imagine that Iamaleava's next landing spot is as cushy or as financially healthy as Tennessee was.