For there to be a major conflict in the whole Nico Iamaleava saga, someone had to tip the iceberg. While there's already speculation about who that was, there are no definitive answers as to whether it's true or not. Iamaleava’s reps started sniffing around, and right now, it seems as if Oregon’s Dan Lanning lit the ignition, triggering the entire drama-filled weekend.
Oregon wasn’t the only team that Iamaleava’s camp reached out to—there are believed to be other schools in play. However, Lanning seems to have made the most ethical decision by calling Josh Heupel.
Due to everything that transpired over the weekend, Iamaleava’s college career is now in serious jeopardy—possibly even his football career overall. If it ends here, he could become the first quarterback in NCAA history to have his career cut short due to NIL-related issues. That said, there may still be an alternative path forward.
“If I'm a UFL team, I'd reach out to Nico Iamaleava to gauge his interest in signing. Because, at this point, bridge may be burned in CFB,” Emory Hunt wrote.
The main party at fault in this entire ordeal is the young quarterback’s representation, which includes both his agent and his father. They were ultimately the ones who advised him to skip practice on Friday.
When Lanning was asked about the rumors, he shut them down quickly, offering the media none of the answers they were hoping for.
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Josh Pate has been outspoken about the situation and how it has unfolded. He gave a tip of the cap to Lanning.
“If Lanning did what they say he did… Good for Dan Lanning because I can tell you that's not the only program that Nico’s folks had engaged behind the scenes,” Pate said.
Lanning comes out as the true hero here. Without him stepping in, who knows what might have happened to Tennessee in the midst of this saga. Now, the Vols are free to pursue a new quarterback in the portal—rather than trying to satisfy the financial demands of another.