Nico Iamaleava is set to enter the transfer portal after Tennessee was unwilling to meet his NIL demands, and the quarterback could reportedly encounter a big issue while negotiating with other schools.
Tennessee decided to part ways with Iamaleava after the redshirt sophomore skipped the team’s spring practice on Friday over a pay dispute. Reports have indicated that Iamaleava is seeking a $4 million NIL deal, which is significantly more than the $2.4 million deal he had with the Volunteers.
According to Pete Nakos of On3, multiple schools are only willing to pay Iamaleava in the range of $1 million. Those schools are reportedly planning to wait to see if Iamaleava’s NIL demands become more reasonable before they enter the mix for the star quarterback.
That is not ideal for Iamaleava, if true. It is possible that he could wind up with far less money than he would have gotten had he just remained with Tennessee.
In his first year as a full-time starter last season, Iamaleava threw for 2,616 yards with 19 touchdown passes and 5 interceptions. He also rushed for 358 yards and 3 scores while helping the Vols reach the College Football Playoff. He is viewed as the top quarterback available in the portal, but that does not mean he is going to receive $4 million offers.
Iamaleava is from Long Beach, Calif., which may explain why one particular school is viewed as the favorite to land him.
The big question now is whether Iamaleava will wind up with a worse NIL deal from his new program than the one he had with the Vols. If that happens, it will be a cautionary tale to other players around the country.
