Tennessee Coach Reflects on Nico Iamaleava’s Departure After Reported NIL Dispute

The Tennessee Volunteers underwent a massive change this offseason as quarterback Nico Iamaleava unexpectedly ended up hitting the transfer portal.

Iamaleava spent his first two seasons with Tennessee, but amid reports that he was looking for a bigger NIL deal with the Volunteers, he skipped practice the day before the team's spring game, and Tennessee coach Josh Heupel decided they would be moving on from him. Iamaleava has since transferred to UCLA, which is also close to where he grew up.

Heupel, who notably said, "no one is bigger than the Power T" in the wake of the drama surrounding Iamaleava in the spring, addressed his departure again during SEC Media Days this week. Heupel reflected on why it was hard to see Iamaleava leave, but also expressed that he believes the quarterback will still have a great career.

“Our football team, they cared about Nico,” Heupel said on the set of SEC Now, via Creg Stephenson of Alabama.com. “Nico’s going to be a great player and he’s going to have a great career. I love Nico. It was hard for the players in that moment, but in leadership of any kind, having clear, consistent transparent communication and also timely, in that it allows your people to handle it the best that they can."

Heupel shared some nice sentiments toward Iamaleava, but made it clear that their focus is now on who's taking over the quarterback position, not the events that unfolded this past spring.

“It’s quarterback, it’s unique in some way, but you’ve got to have a ‘next man up’ mentality," Heupel said, via Stephenson. "It’s going to happen to every team in college football across the landscape of the season. Quarterback’s no different in that way. Our guys have handled the change, transition — whatever you want to call it, in a very positive way. Outside noise, you try not pay to much attention to it. Expectations may have changed from outside the building after that moment, but they haven’t changed inside the locker room.”

Heupel reinforced that "next man up" mentality during his time at SEC Media Days. The Volunteers have not selected their starting quarterback, and will have a competition featuring Joey Aguilar, Jake Merklinger, and George MacIntyre as fall camp gets underway. Aguilar notably transferred to Tennessee after Iamaleava left for the Bruins, and is the most experienced quarterback of the three.

Whichever quarterback wins the job will be tasked with leading Tennessee as they open the season against Syracuse on Aug. 30.