Nico Iamaleava out as Tennessee QB in NIL dispute
Starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava is out at Tennessee amid a contract dispute, multiple outlets reported Saturday.
Tennessee will play its spring Orange & White game without Iamaleava on Saturday, and he is no longer with the program, per reports. Coach Josh Heupel is expected to talk about the situation after the game.
Iamaleava and the school had been in discussions over his name, image and likeness money. The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that Iamaleava, 20, wanted an increase from his more than $2 million annual NIL package, with ESPN adding he was seeking to double that amount.
He didn't show up to practice on Friday and is not speaking with coaches, and that apparently was the final straw for Heupel and Tennessee.
The spring transfer portal opens Wednesday, and Iamaleava can enter then. As a redshirt sophomore, he will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Without Iamaleava, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and freshman George MacIntyre move into the lead for the starting job. Heupel also could look to the portal for an experienced QB.
ESPN reported that officials from Tennessee's NIL collective already are in contact with representatives for potential 2025 quarterbacks.
Iamaleava played sparingly as a freshman in 2023 before taking over the starting role last fall. In his first season as a starter, he completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns against five interceptions, leading Tennessee to a 10-3 record and a College Football Playoff appearance.
The Vols finished ninth in the final AP poll following their 42-17 first-round loss to eventual champion Ohio State.
When Iamaleava was in high school in Southern California, 247Sports ranked him as the No. 2 quarterback and the No. 2 player in the nation, behind Arch Manning, in the Class of 2023.
--Field Level Media
Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ex-Georgia QB Carson Beck's Massive NIL Deal With Miami Revealed
Ex-Georgia QB Carson Beck's Massive NIL Deal With Miami Revealed originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In the NIL era of college football, quarterbacks don't have to make the NFL to become millionaires. Signal-callers are reaching paydays in the multi-millions per season at the college level. Advertisement There's few better examples of that than former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck. On3's Pete Nakos reported Sunday that Beck will make in excess of $4 million to play for the Miami Hurricanes this fall. "One thing is clear: The price of an elite quarterback is not dropping," Nakos wrote. "In this year's college football transfer portal, jaw-dropping quarterback numbers included a $3 million offer from Duke for Darian Mensah. "Georgia's Carson Beck transferred to Miami and stands to make more than $4 million. Missouri agreed to terms on a $1.5 million deal with Penn State transfer Beau Pribula in December, too." Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck© Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Bobby Carpenter Show host Anthony Schlegel said during the first week of June that Beck was going to make $4.3 million with his NIL deal in 2025. Advertisement Schlegel said that is ranked second-highest in college football behind only Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. Beck announced his decision to transfer from Georgia to Miami on January 10, which was just a little more than a week after the Bulldogs suffered their playoff defeat to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Beck didn't play in that game because of an elbow injury, which he sustained in the SEC Championship Game versus Texas. During his final season with the Bulldogs, Beck completed 64.7% of his passes for 3,485 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The quarterback posted significantly better statistics during 2023. Advertisement In Miami, Beck will replace quarterback Cam Ward, who became the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Related: Coveted Playmaker Sends Clear Message on Future With Historic College Football Program This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jason Kelce Reveals the Truth on Major Personal Decision
Jason Kelce Reveals the Truth on Major Personal Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Jason Kelce has been doing a lot since he retired from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024. Since then, the Super Bowl-winning center has gotten himself a deal with ESPN as a football analyst, which also gave birth to his own talk show on the esteemed sports network, "They Call It Late Night With Jason Kelce." Advertisement On top of that, the 37-year-old also runs a very successful podcast with his brother, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, entitled "New Heights." Kelce has also ventured into multiple businesses. Apart from being a part-owner of Cincinnati, Ohio-based alcoholic beverage company Garage Beer, the NFL icon also decided to invest in his passion for golf. In May, Kelce was officially announced as a part-owner of the Sullivan County Golf Club in Liberty, New York. The seven-time Pro Bowl center joined actor Bill Murray and entrepreneur Mike Madden, the son of NFL legend Mike Madden, among others, as part of the golf club's high-profile ownership group. In a recent interview, Kelce opened up about his major personal decision to invest in Sullivan County. According to the former Eagles star, it was renowned golf writer and editor Tom Coyne who paved the way for him. Advertisement "So Tom and I played golf and did a podcast that he has," Kelce said, via kelcebrothers on Instagram. "And we just kind of got to know each other through that. "And, you know, I've been getting more involved with golf. I'm doing some stuff with my nonprofit, Underdog ... But (I've) been working with Tom and doing some things on that front. Jason Kelce on the ESPN postseason countdown set.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images "And then he all of a sudden tells me, 'Hey, do you want to go play a hoopie with Bill Murray?' I'm like, '(Expletive) Yeah, I want to go play a hoopie with Bill Murray.' And that's when we kind of got to talking. "It sounded like this nine-hole course up in the Catskills in Sullivan County was going to be pretty killer. ... From there, we kind of came together, and now we've got a golf course." Advertisement While it was not disclosed how much Kelce invested in this new business venture, there's no denying that purchasing a stake in a golf course had to burn a hole in his pockets. However, as Kelce said during the announcement, his relationship with the sport of golf has grown over the past few years, and he came to the conclusion that it was due time to make "a long-term commitment" by putting his money where his mouth is. Related: Jason Kelce's Family's Behavior Around Taylor Swift Revealed Related: Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce Make Big Announcement on Tuesday Related: Travis Kelce Strongly Denies Jason Kelce's Accusation About His Wife This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lil Wayne's First ‘Tha Carter VI' Track Featured in an NBA Finals Campaign
The first public glimpse of Lil Wayne's upcoming Tha Carter VI album will be heard on ESPN. 'The Days,' a collaboration between the iconic rapper (and May Rolling Stone cover star) and U2's Bono, is the theme song of the NBA Finals' promotional ad for the first day of the championship series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. The network has previously played his 'I Am Not a Human Being,' 'Uproar,' and 'Glory' tracks in the playoffs. In the NBA Finals ad, highlights of both teams are interspersed with Wayne rapping bars like, 'live to fight another day if yesterday beat me, cause I ain't gettin' younger, but I'm gettin' better' while Bono sings, 'these are the days.' More from Rolling Stone Here's Where to Score Last-Minute NBA Finals Tickets Online Escaped Inmate Asks Lil Wayne, NBA YoungBoy, Meek Mill for Help Lil Wayne Celebrates Over 20 Years of 'Tha Carter' With New Tour 'Basketball's been in my blood since day one, so to team up with ESPN less than 24 hours before the drop of Tha Carter VI for the NBA Finals is an incredible honor,' Wayne, who just announced a North American tour, says about the campaign. 'My music and the NBA are vibin' on the same frequency because it's perfect timing for fans to hear Tha Carter VI on the game's grandest stage.' The campaign is yet another intersection of sports and music for the avid sports fan and co-founder of Young Money APAA Sports Agency, which represents several NBA players. Tha Carter VI is Wayne's 14th studio album, and the first since 2023's Welcome 2 ColleGrove with 2 Chainz. Wayne played Rolling Stone songs from the project in January, including 'The Days,' an introspective track where he reflects on his life and times. He told Rolling Stone that the project is collaboration-oriented, noting, 'If there's one thing about this album that's different, it's me approaching it like, 'Man, what would I sound like on something with such and such.'' He'll be celebrating Tha Carter VI's launch with the ESPN campaign as well as his first headlining concert at Madison Square Garden on Friday, the album's release date. 'Lil Wayne brings the energy, edge, and emotion that define the NBA Finals,' said Curtis Friends, Vice President of Sports Marketing at ESPN. 'Integrating his music into our NBA Playoffs coverage has been a strategic brand flex – amplifying our storytelling and connecting with fans as we showcase today's rising stars on the league's biggest stage.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
