Pound for Pound: Spring drama

Published 10:24 am Wednesday, April 16, 2025

I’ve got a new name proposal for former University of Tennessee starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava.

Nico Iama-leaving-if-you-don’t-pay-me-more had a very public holdout prior to last weekend. He reportedly skipped practice Friday – one day before the Volunteers’ spring game – and quit talking to coaches because he was looking for more NIL money.

Why right now? The spring transfer portal opens today (April 16). Deadlines spur action. Iamaleava saw an opportunity to hold out for higher pay. If his request wasn’t met, he was prepared to take his game to another campus.

Iamaleava had the right to do what he did, but so did Tennessee.

For maybe the first time in my life, I applaud the Volunteers and head coach Josh Heupel (certainly wasn’t applauding them when they got blown out by Ohio State in the playoff last year). Before Saturday’s spring game, Heupel told his team that the program was moving on from Iamaleava. The coach won’t say this part out loud, but he believes those financial resources could be better spent. Heupel’s system, after all, does make things pretty easy for the quarterback.

“It’s the state of college football,” Heupel told The Vol Network, an outlet that covers the school. “At the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program. That includes me, too. We’ve got an opportunity. We’ve got a bunch of guys that will give their all for Tennessee.”

That last sentence is similar to something Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said recently. He wants guys who want to be in Athens, who want to get better, and who want to make the life-changing dream of making it to the NFL to become a reality. UGA certainly does take care of its players NIL-wise, but if money is their first concern, they best look elsewhere.

Now Nico and his manager dad are looking elsewhere. Iamaleava completed 63.8% of passes for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns against only five interceptions in his first year as an SEC starter. So far he’s living up to his 5-star recruiting ranking, but it will be interesting to see how much the player’s reputation is damaged. Who will want college football’s first high-profile holdout?

Iamaleava’s likely not bound for another SEC school. Doing so would require the 6-foot-6 QB to sit out a year. Southern Cal and UCLA seem to be the favorites, but do they have the NIL funds to make the No. 1 portal player happy?

These types of scenarios will continue to play out as long as this Wild West-era of NIL in the NCAA remains. Fans – the casual ones, not the diehards – will have to decide if they like their college football more similar to the pro product. If they don’t, the sport could take a hit in popularity, but even a steep drop in TV ratings won’t bring true amateurism back. That train is already well out of the station.