Tennessee football received a dose of pre transfer portal drama on Thursday afternoon when On3’s Pete Nakos reported that quarterback Nico Iamaleava and his team were negotiating a new contract with Tennessee ahead of the spring transfer portal window opening up next week.
Iamaleava’s father, Nic, responded to the report late on Thursday night by calling out Nakos.
“More games being played off the field then on the field,” Nic Iamaleava posted on X. “Bi7ch Nakos from @On3Sports called and asked me directly, I told him I had no idea what he’s talking about. He said his ‘close source’ that he trusts with his life from the University of Tennessee staff gave him this information. So y’all can ask them what’s going on, cuz it ain’t from us!”
It’s unclear from Iamaleava’s post whether he’s denying that the negotiations are going on or if he’s just denying that their team leaked the news to Nakos.
information. So y’all can ask them what’s going on, cuz it ain’t from us!
— Coach_Nic (@Nic_Iamaleava) April 11, 2025
Iamaleava is entering his redshirt sophomore season and his second as Tennessee football’s starting quarterback. He completed 64% of his passes for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions during the 2024 season.
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The 6-foot-6 signal caller had an up-and-down first season as a starting quarterback. Iamaleave struggled in the first half of SEC play before playing well down the stretch of the season. While Iamaleava’s play was up-and-down, Tennessee had success on the field going 10-2 (6-2 SEC) in the regular season and earning a birth in the 12-team College Football Playoffs.
Tennessee’s pass protection and receiver play around Iamaleava was shaky last season. But it was the Vols’ run game and defense that led them to the 12-team College Football Playoffs.
The Vols are holding their annual Orange-and-White game on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium. Iamaleava has been a full participant during spring practice and the expectation is that he will participate in the spring game.
Kickoff at Neyland Stadium is at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon. The game will not be broadcast or streamed anywhere but you can follow along with live updates at RockyTopInsider.com.
One Response
Getting paid now big dawg! It pays to hear the facts. You are a good quarterback. But your running back was better, your offensive line was better, your defense was better. Hell maybe the special teams were better. You get the point