Oklahoma recruiting strategy more important than ever amid Nico Iamaleava saga
Oklahoma recruiting strategy more important than ever amid Nico Iamaleava saga
Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners' approach to recruiting is more relevant than ever in today's college football world. Name, image, and likeness and the transfer portal aren't going anywhere. Revenue sharing and salary caps are on the way. College football has been about the money for a long time. But now, the players are able to benefit from the billions in revenue created by the product on the field.
Money is going to be a part of the equation. However, there's a lot to be said for the way a program like Oklahoma wants to operate.
The saga surrounding Volunteers starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava in Knoxville, Tennessee, is putting the Tennessee football program to the test this week. On Thursday, Pete Nakos of On3 reported that Nico Iamaleava and his representatives were seeking an increase in his name, image, and likeness deal, which was originally worth $8 million when he signed with the Volunteers out of high school.
ESPN's Chris Lowe reported on Friday that not only has Iamaleava and his representatives been seeking a raise this week, but that they've been seeking a raise dating back to December. Lowe also reported that Iamaleava sat out of Tennessee's practice Friday, which surprised the coaching staff.
Josh Heupel has some drama on his hands.
It's reminiscent of the Matthew Sluka saga at UNLV last fall. But this is Tennessee—a Tennessee team coming off a College Football Playoff berth. And this is potentially the first hold-out of the modern era, something we're used to seeing only at the NFL level. How the relationship between the Volunteers and Iamaleava goes from here could shake the entire college football and name, image, and likeness landscape.
That is why Oklahoma's recruiting priorities are so important.
When Brent Venables was hired as the Oklahoma Sooners' head coach in 2021, he made it clear that Oklahoma would be active from a name, image, and likeness standpoint. Still, he was looking for players and families who took a more holistic look at their future.
"I'm all for players that have the opportunity to have the brand, if you will," Venables said in 2021 via The Oklahoman. "They have the stage. They have those opportunities to create maybe a short-term, better quality of life for both them and/or their families. I don't see anything wrong with that."
"I believe you need to use (NIL) to your advantage in every way you possibly can within the rules," Venables said back in 2021. "But that shouldn't be the focus of your program. We want to attract players and families that want all of it — the holistic piece. If (NIL) is where all the focus is, then maybe those values don't align."
Oklahoma's been active from a name, image, and likeness perspective. They've used it to both recruit and retain players over the last several years. But Oklahoma has worked to position itself as more than that. They want to be more than a short-term solution for players looking for a home. Through S.O.U.L. Mission, the Sooners have created a holistic approach to player development that speaks to the heart, soul, and mind of the individual in addition to developing the football player.
Have they lost players to the portal? Yes. Have some left for name, image, and likeness opportunities elsewhere? Probably. It would be naive to think otherwise. At the same time, the Oklahoma coaching staff has done a great job at player retention over the years. Some of that is due to investments in name, image, and likeness, but it's certainly not all about that.
Venables reinforced that idea when he spoke with Josh Pate of the Josh Pate College Football Show last week about setting players up for life beyond football. Venables has been consistent with his core values of recruitment, retention, and development during his time at Oklahoma. Even as the Sooners come off of a 6-7 season, Venables and the Oklahoma Football program haven't deviated from the path.
In fact, the addition of general manager Jim Nagy will make it easier for the coaching staff to pour into the players. Will they still be recruiting and evaluating high school and transfer prospects? Absolutely, but the addition of Nagy and his staff will streamline the process and give the assistants more time to forge relationships with their player and prospective players. Although money has become a significant part of the recruitment process, relationships still matter.
There's no telling where the Nico Iamaleave saga with Tennessee will end. The spring transfer portal window opens next week, but it will be the top story in college football until there's a resolution.
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 John on X @john9williams.
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