Nico Iamaleava's latest move throws gasoline on fire of controversy surrounding his status with the Tennessee Vols
The saga that has come to light this week regarding Tennessee Vols QB Nico Iamaleava, his NIL deal, and his status with the team has apparently taken another turn. According to ESPN college football senior writer Chris Low, Iamaleava was a no show at practice on Friday, which he says was unexpected by Tennessee's staff […]
The saga that has come to light this week regarding Tennessee Vols QB Nico Iamaleava, his NIL deal, and his status with the team has apparently taken another turn.
According to ESPN college football senior writer Chris Low, Iamaleava was a no show at practice on Friday, which he says was unexpected by Tennessee's staff members and players.
Per a report by Pete Nakos of On3 Sports, Iamaleava is looking to renegotiate his deal amid the ever-shifting NIL market. Both John Mateer and Carson Beck, two highly touted quarterbacks in the transfer portal, each have been reported to have signed large NIL deals in excess of what Iamaleava's deal was reported to have been when he came to UT, although those are not verifiable since they are not public and subject to the Freedom of Information Act or Tennessee Public Records Act.
Iamaleava's dad took to Twitter/X late Thursday night to call out Nakos, calling him "B7tch Nakos" and contesting the veracity of the report and saying they don't know where it came from. And there's a report from CBS Sports that cites a close family friend of the family that says they're not looking to re-negotiate. CBS Sports also, in the same article, references a rumor "rippled through the West Coast" that Nico and his family had eyes on the portal for alternative schools, but that a Tennessee source was skeptical.
As such, there's a ton of uncertainty out there as to what's real. However, that hasn't stopped speculation as to Nico wanting to leave on social media, and this latest move will only stoke those fears.
Taking Low's tweet as accurate, it surely doesn't look good for Iamaleava to be absent at practice shortly after the release of this report, particularly if the coaching staff was caught off guard by it. Even if it was for a valid reason, it should have been one that the coaches and staff new about in advance of practice.
We'll find out soon enough where Nico and the Vols stand – and if they stand together – as the Orange and White Game will get underway on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee is finally getting recognition for an accomplishment Vol fans have been promoting all year
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