The Big Lead

Nico Iamaleava's father potentially ruined his son's college football career

After making $2.5 million at Tennessee, Iamaleava won't have a long list of schools chasing him.

By Matt Reed

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) scrambles between Ohio State defenders during a College Football Playoff first round game between Tennessee and Ohio State held at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) scrambles between Ohio State defenders during a College Football Playoff first round game between Tennessee and Ohio State held at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Tennessee Volunteers had College Football Playoff national championship aspirations last season with Nico Iamaleava leading the way at quarterback, however, despite reaching the playoff the SEC school didn't come anywhere close to reaching their mountain top.

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Now, the issues have compounded for Tennessee as Iamaleava left the program in pursuit of more NIL money than the $2.5 million he was due to make. Some reports have suggested that his father could be behind that higher asking price, but which now puts his son in a position where he has to enter the transfer portal.

Iamaleava reportedly was even urged to sit out of the Volunteers' playoff game last season because his father was pushing for more money out of the school's NIL collective for having to play an extra game.

Now, that puts Iamaleava in a spot where lower-tier programs like UCLA, North Carolina and Tulane have been linked to the signal caller. Last season, the freshman threw for just 2,600 yards and 19 touchdowns, and yet he wanted to be one of the highest-paid NIL athletes in all of college sports.

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