If Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava enters transfer portal, could it lead to the departure of another key offensive player for the Vols?
After making it through the majority of spring practice without any major drama, Tennessee Vols fans are now anxiously waiting to see if Nico Iamaleava will remain at UT amid reports that the rising redshirt sophomore quarterback unexpectedly missed practice on Friday while reportedly in negotiations for a new NIL deal. According to ESPN's Chris […]
After making it through the majority of spring practice without any major drama, Tennessee Vols fans are now anxiously waiting to see if Nico Iamaleava will remain at UT amid reports that the rising redshirt sophomore quarterback unexpectedly missed practice on Friday while reportedly in negotiations for a new NIL deal.
According to ESPN's Chris Low, there's been "growing frustration" among UT's administration and various Vols players about the situation with Iamaleava.
That report has led to fans and media wondering if the relationship between Tennessee and Iamaleava has been broken, or if there's a scenario where things will be worked out between the two sides.
If Iamaleava and Tennessee end up parting ways, there's one player that Vols fans should probably keep an eye on — sophomore wide receiver Mike Matthews.
For all we know, Matthews is very happy at Tennessee. But if you're a UT fan who is saying, "oh, just let Nico go and roll with the next guy", it's important to remember that Matthews flirted with the NCAA transfer portal in December. And one reason he thought about transferring was reportedly because he wanted some assurances that Iamaleava would be back at Tennessee.
Back in December, there were some rumors flying around that Iamaleava was considering entering the portal. On3's Pete Nakos, who broke the story on Thursday that Iamaleava is renegotiating his NIL deal with UT, suggested 104.5 The Zone in December that part of Tennessee's pitch to Matthews was that Iamaleava was going to be back in 2025.
"I think we all saw the Nico (Iamaleava) rumors flying around Saturday night (in December)," explained Nakos. "I think there was a little concern there. I'm not saying those rumors were true, I'm just saying those started to spread on social media and that maybe gave Mike Matthews some pause. But beyond that, too, I don't know if he necessarily [made] this decision knowing if he wanted to leave Tennessee for good. I think it might have been a little bit of a knee jerk reaction and that's what Tennessee is trying to tell him — 'hey come back, Nico's back, we're going to try to keep building this wide receiver room around you and a few other pieces'. That's kind of the pitch that Tennessee is making from everything I've been told."
If Iamaleava enters the transfer portal when it opens next week, would Matthews be willing to stick around at Tennessee or he would also enter the portal?
That's impossible to answer at this time, but it's a reminder that Iamaleava leaving Tennessee could lead to even more transfer drama for the Vols.
