Quarterback Nico Iamaleava was not at Tennessee ‘s Orange and White game Saturday and is no longer on the roster.
It appears Iamaleava is headed toward the transfer portal that opens Wednesday, as coach Josh Heupel had a short answer before the spring game about the past 48 hours.
“It’s the state of college football,” Heupel told the Vol Network. “At the end of the day, no one’s ever bigger than the program. That includes me too. And we got an opportunity. We got a bunch of guys that are going to give their all for Tennessee and we move forward, got a great group. Let’s go compete.”
Iamaleava is the quarterback whose name, image and likeness deal bringing him to Tennessee prompted an NCAA investigation and lawsuit by the attorneys general of both Tennessee and Virginia in January 2024. The NCAA was looking at both Tennessee and The Vol Club, an NIL collective run by Spyre Sports Group over the recruitment of the five-star quarterback from California and his NIL contract with Spyre.
Iamaleava spent spring practice as the quarterback expected to start for a second straight season. He helped Tennessee go 10-3 last season and earn a berth in the newly expanded College Football Playoff. According to reports, he was looking for a big hike in his NIL compensation and was not at practice Friday.
Not only was Iamaleava no longer listed on the Tennessee website or roster, gear with his No. 8 was not seen in shops at Neyland Stadium.
That leaves Heupel with a pair of four-star recruits in his quarterback room led by Jake Merklinger, who joined Tennessee for spring practice a year ago, and incoming freshman George MacIntyre. Heupel has a commitment from the No. 1 overall recruit for 2026 in quarterback Faizon Brandon out of Greensboro, North Carolina.
