
Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy comments on Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee breakup
Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy comments on Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee breakup
New Oklahoma Sooners general manager Jim Nagy has been tasked with helping turn the program around after a 6-7 season in 2024. Nagy, who replaces Curtis Lofton, is bringing a new, progressive approach to the name, image and likeness wilderness that college football is currently wandering in. His hire at OU has been praised as a move that could help the team get back into championship contention.
At the "Crimson Combine", Nagy was asked about a big piece of college football news that is arguably the biggest story in all of sports right now. The breakup of the Tennessee Volunteers and former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava sent shockwaves across college athletics.
Iamaleava held out of practice and team meetings for more money on his NIL "contract" late last week, prompting head coach Josh Heupel to announce on Saturday that the Vols had parted ways with their starting quarterback. Iamaleava will enter the transfer portal when it opens from April 16 to 25 and will look for his next home in college football.
More: Oklahoma recruiting strategy more important than ever amid Nico Iamaleava saga
The duo of Iamaleava and Heupel, representing opposite sides, may have just changed college football with their respective decisions. And if something like that can happen at a place like Knoxville, rich in tradition and history, who's to say it can't happen in Norman?
Nagy, speaking just hours after the news of the split broke, explained a group text between him and the OU coaching staff where he laid down the law. His plan is to stop similar issues from even coming up at Oklahoma.
"This can't happen here," Nagy said. "There are red flags along the way that probably could've pointed to this happening ... That's a doomsday scenario."
Nagy also emphasized the importance of building relationships with players and their families throughout the recruiting process, a stance that is in line with head coach Brent Venables' philosophy as well.
"I think you really need to get to know these players and their families through the recruiting process," Nagy said. "Knowing the player is one thing. We can all watch the tape and identify that. But when we have families on campus and we have players on campus, that's really work to get to know them."
Iamaleava's choice certainly isn't the last of its kind in college football. Oklahoma's new GM is doing his best to ensure that the Sooners don't find themselves in that kind of situation down the road.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
44 minutes ago
- USA Today
UNC set to be on road for ACC/SEC Challenge
UNC set to be on road for ACC/SEC Challenge UNC is heading on the road to face off against Kentucky. Last season, the North Carolina Tar Heels played one of the toughest schedules in all of college basketball in their non-conference slate. And now, for the 2025-26 season, it looks like they will have a few blue blood programs on their slate. The Tar Heels are already scheduled to host Kansas in the final game of a home-and-home series but now we know they will also be in Lexington, Kentucky. Per Jon Rothstein, the Tar Heels will travel to face off against the Kentucky Wildcats as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge in 2025. This is the second-straight year the Tar Heels will be facing off against a preseason top 25 team in the challenge after they hosted Alabama in the Dean Dome a year ago. Kentucky is fresh off an impressive season under the first-year head coach Mark Pope. They should be one of the favorites in the SEC again this year. Here are the reported matchups for the event: There are some very intriguing matchups once again this year with Duke hosting the defending national champion Florida Gators. NC State will also head to Auburn to face off against Bruce Pearl and the Tigers. UNC's non-conference schedule is tough once again. In addition to Kansas, they will also play Michigan State and Ohio State out of the Big Ten. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Auburn football 2025 snapshot profile: Alex McPherson
Auburn football 2025 snapshot profile: Alex McPherson Alex McPherson is ready to return to action this season after experiencing a setback in 2024. The 2025 season is expected to be an exciting one for the Auburn Tigers. As we anticipate the start of the season, lets introduce you to a key member of the 2025 roster. Alex McPherson has been a solid special teams player since arriving on campus in 2022. However, he suffered a setback that severely limited his talents last season. McPherson battled through a gastrointestinal illness, which forced him to miss all but one game in 2024. Despite the roadblock, McPherson continued to regain strength during spring practice and is now cleared to return to action as Auburn's starting placekicker for the 2025 season. "Just being around the guys has been a blast, and just getting back for spring practice. All that hard work and time we spent trying to figure everything out... now it is finally paying off," McPherson said during the spring practice period. "Getting to see the fruit from everything that we have been going through... it is awesome to finally get back out there." McPherson's return should boost Auburn's field goal game this season. The 2024 Tigers connected on just 12-of-22 field goal attempts last season, which is a far cry from McPherson's 90% success rate. Before the season starts, here is a look at McPherson's player profile. Alex McPherson's personal profile Hometown: Fort Payne, Alabama Fort Payne, Alabama High school: Fort Payne High School Fort Payne High School Height: 5-9 5-9 Weight: 160 160 Class: Junior Alex McPherson as a recruit Recruiting class: 2022 2022 Position rank: No. 2 No. 2 State rank: No. 93 No. 93 Rating: Three-star Three-star Other schools of interest: Florida, Texas A&M Alex McPherson's career numbers YEAR FGM FGA LONG XPM XPA 2022 6 7 51 9 9 2023 13 13 53 40 40 2024 1 2 27 3 3 TOTALS 20 22 53 52 52 Alex McPherson's PFF report card 2022: 59.8 59.8 2023: 88.4 88.4 2024: 80.8 80.8 Strengths: 90.9 FG %, 100% on field goal tries between 30-39 yards, 66.7% (3-of-4) on field goals of 50+ yards The best photos of Alex McPherson's Auburn career Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Ohio State football receives pledge from 2026 four-star edge rusher
Ohio State football receives pledge from 2026 four-star edge rusher Coming out of a big recruiting event last weekend, the Ohio State football team has a little momentum. The Buckeyes first received a pledge from 4-star in-state running back Favour Akih, and just on the heels of that news, OSU now has a commitment from 4-star defensive end Khary Wilder. Out of Gardena, California, Wilder is ranked as the No. 242 player and 32nd-ranked edge rusher in the 2026 recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He chose Ohio State over Notre Dame, Alabama, UCLA, and Washington. He is the first defensive lineman in the class to commit to the Buckeyes. With the news, OSU's 2026 class has now grown to 15 total commitments and has jumped up to the No. 2 class in the country according to 247Sports. The Buckeyes still have plenty of room in the class it is putting together, and Larry Johnson would love to add more to the defensive line. We'll continue to cover all things Ohio State recruiting and bring you any noteworthy news as we continue to tread towards the Early Signing Period that begins in December. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.