Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava has submitted paperwork to the school to enter the transfer portal, sources told Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.
The relationship with the redshirt sophomore is expected to be over and Tennessee held a team meeting on the matter Saturday morning where head coach Josh Heupel informed players of the decision.
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The Volunteers are playing their Orange & White spring game on Saturday.
Iamaleava did not attend practice and meetings on Friday amid reports that he wanted to renegotiate his NIL deal with the program. (Iamaleava’s father disputed a story by On3.) His absence was unexpected and people within the Tennessee program were reportedly frustrated by the attempt to change an agreement that was the richest in college football when Iamaleava signed it in 2023.
The No. 2 quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class out of Warren High School in Downey, California, as ranked by Rivals, Iamaleava signed a four-year deal with Tennessee and its Vols Club collective for a reported $8 million, with $2.2 million of that to be paid for the 2025 season.
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Yet the NIL market for quarterbacks has seen major changes recently. Carson Beck reportedly received $4 million from Miami after he transferred from Georgia, while Darian Mensah will get the same in his deal with Duke upon transferring from Tulane.
The spring transfer window opens on April 16 and will close on April 25. To be immediately eligible, Iamaleava has to play for a school outside the SEC. The deadline for transferring within the conference and being eligible for the following season was Feb. 1. Yet the winter transfer window was from Dec. 9-28 and Tennessee was competing in the College Football Playoff.
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In his first full season as Tennessee’s starting QB, Iamaleava threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns (with five interceptions), completing 63.8% of his passes. Additionally, he rushed for 358 yards and three scores on 109 carries. Against Ohio State in the CFP, Iamaleava completed 14-of-31 passes for 104 yards while rushing for 47 yards and two TDs. The Vols went 10-3 overall.
Redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger is in position to take over as the Vols’ starting QB with true freshman George MacIntyre also on the depth chart. However, Tennessee’s NIL collective has begun checking on potential transfers, according to ESPN.
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