On3’s official X account shared a graphic depicting North Carolina head football coach Bill Belichick and Tennessee transfer Nico Iamaleava with the UNC logo in between them and Peter Nakos’ report that the Tar Heels’ new headman will be a “known buyer” in the portal.
On3 shared a hedge, though.
"(Iamaleava's) asking price of $4 million could be too much for North Carolina,” Nakos said.
Nakos, of course, is the reporter who came under fire for reporting Iamaleava’s NIL dispute with UT before the ex-Vols star hit the portal. Nic Iamaleava, Nico’s father, called Nakos a “b****” for reporting on it.
“More games being played off the field than on the field. Bi7ch Nakos from On3 Sports called and asked me directly, I told him I had no idea on what he’s talking about,” Nic tweeted. “He said his ‘close source’ that he trusts with his life from the University of Tennessee staff gave him this information. So y’all can ask them what’s going on, cuz it ain’t from us!”
Nakos was right, after all. A community note is attached to Nic’s tweet defending Nakos’ reporting.
As for UNC, Belichick landing Iamaleava would make sense on many levels.
The Tennessee native was always going to poach talent from his home state. In the NIL era, that includes the transfer portal. Not to mention, Belichick knows something about turning a coastal California native under center into a star.
Of course, the price tag could be eye-popping. This issue could come down to whether or not Belichick has sold North Carolina’s donor base on making big splashes in the April transfer portal window.