Nico Iamaleava has created a massive headache, not just for Tennessee but all of college football. The Volunteers can’t just focus on football, they have to deal with the fallout of a player who was greedy when it came to NIL.
Not saying he’s not within his right to fight for every penny he feels he deserves, but it was a swing and a miss that had a domino effect on him, every school rumored to him and, of course, his former team in Tennessee.
But how does Iamaleava’s departure affect the outlook of Tennessee’s standings in conference play? Iamaleava threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns with five interceptions in the 2024 season, helping Tennessee reach the College Football Playoff for the first time.
Are the Volunteers still one of the strongest teams in the SEC without him or are they going to regret not meeting his NIL demands and losing him to the transfer portal? Well, after the spring game, coach Josh Heupel has a lot to be excited about when it comes to George MacIntyre and the incoming freshman class.
Will they be enough to carry the load for the Volunteers and propel them atop the SEC again and into the College Football Playoff, though? That will be the question that looms over Tennessee the rest of the offseason.
SEC Power rankings: Tennessee fans shouldn’t hit the panic button just yet, despite losing Nico Iamaleava
SCHOOL | LAST YEAR'S RECORD |
|---|---|
1. Florida Gators | 8-5 (4-4) |
2. Texas A&M Aggies | 8-5 (5-3) |
3. Texas Longhorns | 13-3 (7-1) |
4. Georgia Bulldogs | 11-3 (6-2) |
5. Tennessee Volunteers | 10-3 (6-2) |
6. South Carolina Gamecocks | 9-4 (5-3) |
7. Alabama Crimson Tide | 9-4 (5-3) |
8. LSU Tigers | 9-4 (5-3) |
9. Oklahoma Sooners | 6-7 (2-6) |
10. Ole Miss Rebels | 10-3 (5-3) |
11. Arkansas Razorbacks | 7-6 (3-5) |
12. Auburn Tigers | 5-7 (2-6) |
13. Vanderbilt Commodores | 7-6 (3-5) |
14. Missouri Tigers | 10-3 (5-3) |
15. Kentucky Wildcats | 4-8 (1-7) |
16. Mississippi State Bulldogs | 2-10 (0-8) |
Tennessee shouldn’t be too alarmed with losing Iamaleava. While he did have a decent season, he’s replaceable. He didn’t look elite this year and as a result, the Vols won’t have too much trouble replacing his production.
The SEC, as always, is going to be loaded. I’d expect Florida to be one of the strongest teams in the conference again with Texas A&M on their coat tails. Alabama should be about as good as they were last year, though I'm not sure what Ty Simpson will do to fill in for Jalen Milroe.
Texas will probably contend for a SEC championship game appearance again with Arch Manning, though their offense took a major hit with key losses in Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden.
As far as the Volunteers, they’re still atop the SEC standings. Are they No. 1? By all means, no. But they are good enough to be in the top half at worst and should contend for a CFP spot again.
Georgia will probably regress slightly, by their standards anyway, while South Carolina should build off a season where they made a late push for a College Football Playoff spot.
Either way, the SEC is wide open. I think Tennessee will be better than people maybe expect. In big games last year, Iamaleava looked like a freshman who needed experience. Tennessee will probably have some of the same issues if they start MacIntyre, who’s a true freshman.
They should also be optimistic that once the season starts, they will be able to put all the offseason and transfer portal madness behind them and focus on football.