Ryan Day may have a big decision on his hands for Ohio State if Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava shocks the college football world
Ohio State is set to have a new starting quarterback once again in 2025. After C.J. Stroud, the keys went to Kyle McCord for a season before Will Howard helped the Buckeyes win a National Championship most recently. The quarterback competition this spring is between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz, quarterbacks who are entering their […]
Ohio State is set to have a new starting quarterback once again in 2025. After C.J. Stroud, the keys went to Kyle McCord for a season before Will Howard helped the Buckeyes win a National Championship most recently.
The quarterback competition this spring is between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz, quarterbacks who are entering their sophomore and junior seasons of college football. Freshman Tavien St. Clair is in the mix but still a year out from playing likely.
To this point, there has been no separation in the competition and the Buckeyes are going to walk out of the spring with no answer at the most important position in football. This is nothing new, as Ryan Day has often waited until the fall to name a quarterback. Still, Sayin is a former five-star recruit and Elite 11 winner with big expectations. There is some worry going around regarding Sayin not showing he can be the guy yet, at least this spring.
One of the highest college football stories going on right now is around Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava. Pete Nakos of On3 recently reported that Iamaleava and Tennessee were in ongoing NIL contract negotiations. Today, it was reported by ESPN’s Chris Low that Iamaleava was not at practice for what appears to be a holdout. That is the new era of college football we’re in and this is the first big potential holdout brewing. It has been reported that Iamaleava is looking for money similar to what Miami gave Carson Beck and Oklahoma gave John Mateer, around $4 million.
Could Ohio State take a look at Nico Iamaleava if he enters the transfer portal?
Anytime you take a look in the portal and opt to bring a player in, you have to deal with the fallout of the current roster. If the Buckeyes were to bring in Iamaleava if he did enter the portal, they would likely end up losing Sayin and Kienholz. The Buckeyes took a one-year rental with Howard last season and it worked out but that was because they needed to. This time around, Day would have to basically admit that Sayin or Kienholz can’t be the guy to the scale that Iamaleava could.
Iamaleava delivered a gutsy performance for the Vols against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff. He didn’t play necessarily well, completing just 14-of-31 passes for 104 yards, but he did carry the ball 20 times against a tough Ohio State defense. After starting 13 games and completing 64 percent of his passes for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns, and five interceptions, Iamaleava is looking for a raise.
Those numbers weren’t eye-popping with Iamaleava but you have to look at the bigger picture. The Tennessee wide receiver room was very mediocre and the offensive line wasn’t very good. A place like Ohio State would give him a big-time upgrade for his supporting cast. Iamaleava was the No. 2 national recruit in the class of 2022 and the talent is there.
Early 2026 NFL Draft projections have Iamaleava leaving school and being selected next draft. Whether that is from Tennessee or another school has yet to be seen. Due diligence isn’t a bad thing and Day should at least weigh the option of making a splash addition with Iamaleava if it gives the Buckeyes a better chance to win than with who they currently have.
At the end of the day, Iamaleava hasn’t entered the portal and remains a member of the Volunteers. It is very much something to keep an eye on.
