Kirby Smart keeps his reaction to Nico Iameleava's NIL situation in Tennessee short and straight to the point
The Georgia Bulldogs wrapped up spring ball with their annual G-Day scrimmage on Saturday afternoon. And while the day was all about the Bulldogs in Athens, it was hard to completely ignore what had happened between the Tennessee Volunteers and starting quarterback Nico Iameleava. Tennessee parted ways with Iamaleava Saturday morning amid a dispute over […]
The Georgia Bulldogs wrapped up spring ball with their annual G-Day scrimmage on Saturday afternoon.
And while the day was all about the Bulldogs in Athens, it was hard to completely ignore what had happened between the Tennessee Volunteers and starting quarterback Nico Iameleava.
Tennessee parted ways with Iamaleava Saturday morning amid a dispute over his Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compensation. Iamaleava, who previously signed a multi-year NIL deal reportedly worth up to $10 million, allegedly wants to double his annual earnings to $4 million. His absence from Friday's team meeting, one day before Tennessee’s Orange and White Game, ultimately led head coach Josh Heupel to remove him from the roster.
Following G-Day, head coach Kirby Smart was asked about the situation and kept his response brief.
"Don't know that I know that I don't know enough about that situation to fairly comment on it," Smart said. "I mean, I basically know what you guys know. And then you don't know what's real, what's being reported, what's being leaked, what are the reasons for all of it? Again, I'm worried about my house, and I try to control what goes on in my house. I can't worry about everybody else's house. So the climate is different. But again, I'm focused on the kids we got who wanna be here."
Iamaleava, a redshirt sophomore with three years of eligibility remaining, had an impressive 2024 season, leading the Vols to a 10-3 record and a College Football Playoff berth. He threw for 2,930 yards, 21 touchdowns with five interceptions over games. His departure from Tennessee highlights the major issues behind the scenes of college athletics in the NIL era.
The NCAA spring transfer portal opens on Wednesday, and all eyes — including coach Smart's — will be on where Iamaleava ends up next, but it won't be Georgia, or anywhere else in the SEC.
