Josh Heupel on Nico Iamaleava exiting Tennessee
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel shares feelings on Nico Iamaleava’s exit from the Vols and ‘do not contact’ tag.
Sports Pulse
Nico Iamaleava‘s recruiting commitment to Tennessee in 2022 trumpeted a message that maybe, just maybe, the Vols actually were back this time. The Vols won 11 games that season behind senior quarterback Hendon Hooker. Two years later, Iamaleava helped Tennessee qualify for the College Football Playoff for the first time ever.
Those were the good times. The Tennessee-Iamaleava union ultimately unraveled last week. He’s transferring, after one season as Tennessee’s starter and two years in the program.
Tennessee’s NIL collective poured millions into Iamaleava, and the Vols eventually wound up in the NCAA cross hairs under scrutiny that it violated the association’s NIL rules during the recruitment of Iamaleava. The state of Tennessee sued the NCAA, the school’s administration backed Iamaleava, and a legal settlement stemming from the lawsuit further kneecapped the NCAA’s flimsy NIL regulatory powers.
Looking back on it all now, was the juice worth the squeeze for Tennessee in this now-severed union with Iamaleava?
That’s a subject of conversation in this edition of “SEC Football Unfiltered,” a podcast from the USA TODAY Network. Host Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network is joined on this episode by GoVols247 senior writer Wes Rucker, as they unpack how the Iamaleava-Tennessee union unraveled, and where each goes from here.
Iamaleava remains a talented quarterback with upside, but he would have enjoyed a hotter market for his talents if he had transferred in December.
Tennessee’s outlook becomes cloudy. A lot of starting quarterbacks might be wary of leaving their current situation, to have to learn a new offense with a new team in a short timeframe. Still, Vols coach Josh Heupel says his team will pursue a transfer. If they land a good one, the new arrival could polish Tennessee’s playoff prospects.
Was juice worth the squeeze for Tennessee in union with Nico Iamaleava?
Toppmeyer: Tennessee made the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history in 2024. Iamaleava helped Tennessee reach that stage. On the whole, I can’t call this a bust for Tennessee. It would have been a bust if the guy stunk and the Vols went 6-6 last season. That’s not what happened. Tennessee made the 12-team playoff. That’s significant for the program. Tennessee got some return on its investment. Tennessee certainly got some juice with its squeeze. Was the juice worth the squeeze? That’s open to debate, but it’s not as if there was no juice that accompanied the squeeze.
Rucker: The juice absolutely was worth the squeeze for Tennessee. The Vols don’t know what would have happened if they didn’t sign Iamaleava, but they do know what happened after they did. They made the playoff in 2024. His signing also spurred secondary benefits. How many players on Tennessee’s roster are there because Iamaleava signed? Five-star quarterbacks attract other talented players. Also, Tennessee sent a message to California prospects that they can come play for the Vols. No matter how it ended, Iamaleava helped elevate the program, and the Vols proved to a new generation of recruits and their families that they can make the playoff.
Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Episode guest Wes Rucker is a senior writer for GoVols247. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
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