Nico’s Gone…Tennessee Moves On

Tennessee has moved on from starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, with coach Josh Heupel telling reporters Saturday that “no one is bigger than” the program.

The Coach said the tipping point came Friday morning, when Iamaleava was a no-show for practice amid his ongoing NIL contract discussions with the school.

Iamaleava notified offensive coordinator Joey Halzle late Friday night that he was in the process of filling out his paperwork and planned to enter the transfer portal when it opens Wednesday.

Tennessee was aware that Iamaleava’s representatives had reached out to at least one other school, Oregon, prior to the start of spring practice. The day before the winter portal ended in January, Iamaleava’s representatives asked for his deal to increase to the $4 million range, but Tennessee said no.

The move puts both Tennessee and Iamaleava in difficult situations heading into the 2025 season.

Heupel said Saturday that the program will look to add another quarterback in the spring portal.The Volunteers, move on, with players emphasizing Saturday that the team is greater than any individual.