Starting Quarterback Nico Iamaleava is out on Tennessee in the middle of a contract dispute, several stores reported on 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 match.
Iamaleava and the school had been in discussions about his name, image and similarity money. Knoxville News Sentinel reported that Iamaleava, 20, wanted an increase from his more than $ 2 million annual Nil package, with ESPN that allowed him to double that amount.
He did not show up to train on Friday and does not talk to coaches, and it was apparently the last straw for HeuPel and Tennessee.
The spring transfer portal opens Wednesday, and Iamaleava can come in then. As a red -haired Sophomore, he will have three seasons of eligibility left.
Without Iamaleava, red -haired beginner Jake Merklinger and beginner George MacIntyre move into the starting job. HeuPel could also look at the portal for an experienced QB.
ESPN reported that officials from Tennessee’s Nil Collective are already in contact with potential 2025 quarterbacks representatives.
Iamaleava played sparingly as a beginner in 2023 before taking over the starting role last fall. During his first season as a starter, he completed 63.8 percent of his passes of 2,616 meters and 19 touchdowns against five intercepts, which led Tennessee to a 10-3 record and a look at College Fotboll.
Vols finished ninth in the final AP survey after their 42-17 first round for loss to the possible champion Ohio State.
When Iamaleava attended high school in southern California, 247sports ranked him as no 2 Quarterback and No. 2 player in the nation, behind Arch Manning, in the class 2023.
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