Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava enjoys some upper hand with the transfer period approaching. Use it wisely.
Tennessee’s proven quarterback depth is awfully thin. That gives Nico Iamaleava some negotiating power, but who says he’s better off without Tennessee?
Tennessee made the playoff with Nico Iamaleava last season. Keep him, and Vols could return.
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava wants a sweeter deal, according to On3’s reporting Thursday, and why shouldn’t he? Starting quarterbacks enjoy leverage in this landscape.
Iamaleava has Tennessee backed into a corner, because the Vols let their quarterback depth chart grow thin behind Iamaleava.
With Iamaleava as Tennessee’s starting quarterback, the Vols can make the College Football Playoff. We know this, because they made the playoff with Iamaleava last season, and once they got there, their quarterback was the best thing going for them in a pulverization at Ohio State.
Without Iamaleava, well, that complicates matters for Tennessee. There’s no readymade heir. Josh Heupel’s two recruiting classes after he signed Iamaleava included no quarterbacks of his caliber. No veteran transfer with starting experience sits behind Iamaleava, either.
In fairness to Tennessee, it’s a wee bit difficult to sign another No. 1-ranked quarterback recruit when you’ve so clearly identified your starter for a multi-year period.
Tennessee put its eggs in the Iamaleava basket when its NIL collective brokered a major deal three years ago for the prospect in pajama pants. And Tennessee kept its eggs in that basket.
Vols backup Jake Merklinger has never taken a snap against a Power Four opponent. Merklinger played third string last season. Tennessee’s only other scholarship quarterback is four-star true freshman George MacIntyre.
Tennessee’s 2025 plan does not improve with either Merklinger or MacIntyre as its starting quarterback. I’m also unconvinced Iamaleava’s 2025 plan improves without Tennessee. He knows Heupel’s system. He’s settled in. By all accounts, he’s enjoying a good spring while preparing for a second season as starter.
Heupel’s quarterbacks typically flourish. Remember what Hendon Hooker did in his second season starting for Heupel? He took Tennessee to the brink of qualifying for the final four-team playoff.
Best for Tennessee and Nico Iamaleava if he stays
Tennessee’s coaching staff wants to retain Iamaleava, and why shouldn’t it? As tempting as it might be for fans to holler, “Show him the door!” in April, those rally cries will turn to boos come autumn if the Vols are losing to Arkansas with a second-tier quarterback, while Iamaleava plays elsewhere.
Best-case scenario for both school and player ends with Iamaleava wearing orange in September.
On3’s report described Iamaleava’s negotiations with Tennessee as “active” and “ongoing.” That doesn’t equal a five-alarm fire, especially if the Vols put this to bed, retain their quarterback, and stay positioned for playoff contention.
If Iamaleava thinks he can squeeze Tennessee, now is the time to negotiate. The transfer portal will open on Wednesday for a 10-day free-agency period. Though this negotiation went public, Iamaleava surely isn’t the only player across the country trying to rework his deal while the transfer period applies heat on coaches. The hour is late for Tennessee to scramble their quarterback plans.
This becomes a textbook example of why the transfer calendar drives coaches bonkers. They fight to retain their most valuable pieces throughout the winter transfer period, only to have the portal reopen in April after spring practice.
Tennessee could try to nab a transfer quarterback of its own, but it’s a high-stakes gamble to think someone of Iamaleava’s caliber waits on the other side of the veil. Plus, not just any quarterback could step in and operate Heupel’s warp-speed spread offense with just a few months of preparation.
Nico Iamaleava enjoys some leverage. Use wisely.
Iamaleava didn’t meet the hype during his redshirt freshman season. Difficult bar to meet, considering the hype cranked into high gear after word got out that Iamaleava struck a big NIL deal while a five-star prospect in California to come play for Tennessee.
Setting aside the hype, if you rank SEC quarterbacks, Iamaleava would rank in the top half of the conference. He didn’t enjoy sufficient wide receiver or offensive line help, either, last season.
Could he secure a better payday from another program? That’s a gamble, one we’ve yet to see Iamaleava willing to take. Some other Power Four programs would benefit from Iamaleava, but he stayed put during the winter transfer period.
Could Tennessee land a better quarterback if Iamaleava leaves? That, too, is a gamble it shouldn’t want to take and didn’t position itself to take, considering its quarterback depth chart.
Iamaleava enjoys a bit of leverage. Best not for either party to overplay their hand.
Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.