The college football world got thrown for a loop on Saturday morning, when ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Tennessee had made the decision to "move on" from starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
Sources: Tennessee is moving on from starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel informed the team of the decision at a team meeting this morning. Iamaleava missed meetings and practice on Friday, which was the driver of this decision. pic.twitter.com/BsdhJMDXiz
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 12, 2025
We knew that the relationship between Iamaleava and the Vols had grown strained of late, as the QB looked to renegotiate his already-substantial NIL package. But it always felt like cooler heads would prevail: Sure, Iamaleava's camp was asking for a whole lot of money — some reports suggested his demand was as high as $4 million — but that's simply where we're at in this Wild West of a QB market, and it didn't seem like either he or Tennessee would have interest in scrambling to find new options in the spring portal windo
And yet, that's now exactly where we find ourselves. The Vols have had enough, and Iamaleava apparently isn't backing down. Which can only mean one thing: It's time to crank up the transfer portal rumor mill. The spring window opens on Wednesday, April 16, and if Iamaleava does indeed decide to leave Knoxville, he figures to have all sorts of suitors — it's not often that a former five-star recruit with SEC starting experience becomes available this time of year.
For plenty of teams, the fit makes sense; Oregon initially had Iamaleava's commitment out of high school before he flipped to Tennessee, while schools like USC could desperately use a boost at QB. Heck, even Bill Belichick might get involved. One rumored landing spot in particular, though, would do well to steer clear here.
Nico Iamaleava shouldn't be a fit at Ohio State despite QB uncertainty
There's been some rumbling of a quarterback controversy at Ohio State this spring, as presumed heir apparent Julian Sayin apparently hasn't done much to solidify his hold on the starting job so far. Sayin was an all-world recruit out of high school, initially enrolling at Alabama before Nick Saban's abrupt retirement. But he's yet to take a meaningful collegiate snap, and as such remains something of a wild card.
That's a theme throughout the Buckeyes' QB room. Five-star freshman Tavien St. Clair has all the physical tools but is still very raw, while four-star redshirt sophomore Lincoln Kienholz has thrown exactly 22 passes in college. For a team with national championship expectations, you can understand why the situation might make fans a bit uneasy, especially with Arch Manning and Texas coming to the Horseshoe in Week 1.
All of which has fans clamoring for Ryan Day to make a run at Iamaleava in the transfer portal; while he was maddeningly inconsistent at times last season, we've at least seen him excel at the highest level and play in big-time games. But Day and the Buckeyes shouldn't bite here, even if it means going into fall camp with a less-than-ideal QB situation.
For starters, there's the future to think about. St. Clair grew up in Ohio and remained committed to the Buckeyes throughout Day's tumultuous 2024 season; sure, Iamaleava may be bound for the NFL next spring, but what if he wants to stick around? How might St. Clair react to being recruited over, or to his head coach adding yet another body to an already crowded room? What might the addition of Iamaleava do to the atmosphere in the locker room, given how he reportedly handled his departure from Tennessee?
And for all that risk, what would Ohio State really be getting? Iamaleava has massive physical gifts, but he remains scattershot as a passer, and it's tough to imagine a more difficult transition than going from Heupel's veer and shoot attack — emphasizing tempo and simple reads — and Day's more pro-style vision. There are places that might be able to unlock the best version of him as a college QB, but Columbus wouldn't seem to be one of them.