Last week, the college football world was rocked by the shocking and dramatic situation that unfolded in Knoxville.
Of course, I’m referring to quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s ugly and unprecedented breakup with the Tennessee Volunteers.
When the program refused to accommodate his demands to renegotiate his NIL terms, Iamaleava skipped team practice and went off-the-grid.
This lead to head coach Josh Heupel announcing that the program was moving on without Nico – a move that sent shockwaves throughout the college football world.
“Obviously, we’re moving forward as a program without him. I said it to the guys today. There’s no one that’s bigger than the Power T. That includes me,” Heupel said
“This program has been around for a long time. There are a lot of great coaches, a lot of great players who came before that laid the cornerstone pieces, the legacy, the tradition that is Tennessee football.
“It’s going to be around a long time after I’m gone and after they’re gone.”
There are reports that Iamaleava is set to transfer to UCLA.
While the move has yet to be officially confirmed, joining the Bruins seems to be the best option for Iamaleava at this stage.
While he’ll have to take a massive pay-cut from what he was originally scheduled to make at Tennessee, Nico will at least get to play in the Big Ten and try to save his image and NFL draft stock.
Legendary Ohio State coach Urban Meyer believes the thing that’s being lost in this whole conversation is that Heupel and the Vols will take a significant step backwards without Iamaleava
“Here’s the reality … Tennessee is screwed,” Meyer said on The Triple Option podcast.
“They’ve got a problem. You lose a potential high-draft pick. You have the backup quarterback left last year and now you have a redshirt freshman that threw nine passes as a freshman. You have zero experience, and the portal opens as we speak. They are going to have to go get one.”
With Iamaleava’s departure, Tennessee is left in a tough spot at the quarterback position.
The likely starting QB now is redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger, who saw limited action last season, attempting just nine passes and completing six of them.
Merklinger, who played in only two games, was able to preserve his redshirt status. As a result, Tennessee faces a critical need for experienced depth at the quarterback position.
Tennessee is expected to explore options in the transfer portal, though finding a capable starter this late in the spring may prove challenging.
The Vols’ most recent game with Iamaleava at the helm ended on a sour note. In their College Football Playoff matchup against Ohio State, Iamaleava struggled, passing for just 104 yards and no touchdowns on 14-of-31 attempts.
He also carried the ball 20 times for 47 yards in the game. The loss to Ohio State marked Iamaleava’s final appearance with the Volunteers.
Looking ahead, Iamaleava will now have the opportunity to face off against Ohio State once again. This time, however, it will (most likely) be in a UCLA uniform, as the Bruins are set to play the Buckeyes during their second season in the Big Ten this November.
What are your thoughts on Meyer’s comments? … While Heupel and the Vols certainly don’t regret their decision, did they indeed take a massive step back at the quarterback position???
