The writing was quickly on the wall here.
It started to feel real yesterday — now it’s official, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Nico Iamaleava will leave the Tennessee football program.
Sources: Tennessee is moving on from starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel informed the team of the decision at a team meeting this morning. Iamaleava missed meetings and practice on Friday, which was the driver of this decision. pic.twitter.com/BsdhJMDXiz
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 12, 2025
Just an absolute stunning turn of events played out here. Everyone knew about the money the Iamaleava family wanted, dating back to December. With the transfer portal set to open next week, they opted to play hardball with Tennessee. And Tennessee didn’t budge.
Josh Heupel and the staff will let him walk, opting not to cave to his reported $4 million demands. There’s a lot to say here about his decision — the timing, who exactly is he expecting to pay that number — but we’ll keep it on Tennessee for now.
The Volunteers have a spring game today where they’ll feature Jake Merkinger and George MacIntyre. Neither have any real experience and it’s highly unlikely Josh Heupel feels ready to roll into the fall with either one having the keys to the car. Tennessee is going to attack the portal here, likely pulling a sitting starter from someone.
It’s the ugly part of the portal, but if you have enough money, anything is possible. I’d fully expect to see an accomplished starting quarterback enter the portal when it opens next week with a non-contact tag. Oddly enough, it may be a chance for Tennessee to upgrade at the position. Of course, that’s all speculation at this point.
The portal opens on Wednesday and will remain open for ten days. I’d say you’ll find your 2025 starting quarterback somewhere during that timeframe, and it’s going to be a wild ride.