The Nico Iamaleava saga feels never-ending, with more and more information surfacing about the former five-star recruit. There was never going to be a perfect way to handle the situation after Iamaleava decided to skip practice, and sitting quietly through it all in hopes that it would blow over just isn’t realistic.
Iamaleava’s camp believed he was worth more money, so they began shopping him around to other schools. That plan quickly backfired when Oregon head coach Dan Lanning communicated the situation to Tennessee. Not only was Iamaleava seeking a raise—he was looking for nearly a $2 million increase.
“Right before the winter portal closed, Iamaleava’s reps wanted to see his deal upped to $4 million range and again this time as the spring portal opens Wednesday,” Chris Low wrote.
While it was Iamaleava’s agent who did the outreach, it was his father who advised him to skip practice—effectively ending his Tennessee career. That move has significantly damaged his reputation and now puts his college football future in serious jeopardy.
“The people who screwed this up for him, his representation, should do the first dignified thing they’ve done and step up to take the arrows for him,” Josh Pate said. “He’s not the one that got himself into this mess.”
Paul Finebaum has strongly criticized the young quarterback, even going so far as to label him toxic. Meanwhile, another college football analyst admitted to spotting red flags as far back as high school.
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“I was really worried, and our staff was too, that there was some red flags and concerns in relationship to the process... it's been my experience when that starts taking place... it carries over into college,” Tom Luginbill stated. “He’s put himself in a position where now everyone is questioning does he love playing football or does he love chasing money.”
Iamaleava now finds himself in a difficult position, and it may be hard to recover unless his camp issues a public statement—or he’s willing to accept a pay cut.