Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers are "moving on" from starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, according to a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel.
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
Per Thamel, Heupel told the team of his decision at a meeting on Saturday morning.
The move comes after days of back-and-forth between Iamaleava and the school regarding his NIL package. On3 pegged his expected compensation for the 2025 season at somewhere between $2.2 and $2.5 million. But the market for starting quarterbacks has quickly outpaced that number; Carson Beck, for example, will make some $4 million at Miami this year, while less proven options like Duke's Darian Mensah and Michigan true freshman Bryce Underwood have cleared the $3 million mark this offseason.
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
Iamaleava, who completed 63.8% of his passes and threw for 19 touchdowns to just five interceptions while leading the Vols to the College Football Playoff last season, felt like he was due for a raise. And he was willing to hold out to get one, missing practices and meetings this week. Eventually, Tennessee decided it had enough, willing to roll the dice in the spring transfer portal this month rather than get held hostage any longer.
Tennessee moving on from Nico Iamaleava after NIL dispute
Of course, it's technically still possible for cooler heads to prevail here. The spring portal window doesn't open until next Wednesday, April 16, and both Tennessee and Iamaleava may end up deciding that the grass isn't necessarily greener. The Vols would have to find a quarterback ready to win now while picking up a new offensive scheme, while Iamaleava would have to pick up and move to a new school and new team; a reunion has always made the most sense.
But ego and money have a funny way of disrupting common sense. It's hard to blame Tennessee for balking at this asking price (and these rough negotiating tactics), especially given Iamaleava's struggles at times last season: And it's also hard to blame Iamaleava for leaving money on the table when he knows what the market will bear for even passable Power 5 QB play — much less a former five-star recruit with a rocket arm and a year of SEC experience already under his belt.
And so here we are, with one of the more proven (and physically gifted) passers in the country potentially looking for a new home midway through the offseason. Should Iamaleava in fact hit the portal, there will be no shortage of suitors for his services, from CFP contenders without established options like Ohio State and Oregon to even Deion Sanders and Colorado. And it's a very bold move on the Vols' part; this is a team that expects to make it back to the Playoff in 2025, but starting-caliber quarterbacks rarely come available at this time of year.