Quarterback Nico Iamaleava shocked the college football world this week. Iamaleava held out of spring practice with Tennessee, reportedly in search of a better NIL deal with the school’s collective.
Iamaleava has now parted ways with the program and will enter the transfer portal next week, in search of another program following a failure to reach a new agreement with Tennessee.
Players transferring in search of more NIL opportunities is nothing new, but doing so after holding out adds a new wrinkle to the decision.
Tennessee drew a line in the sand with Iamaleava after his decision to hold out, and at least one other top program’s head coach says it’s a non-starter for him as well.
“We’re not gonna do it at Miami,” said Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal.
Strong words from Canes Head Coach Mario Cristobal in the wake of Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava's hold out-turned departure. "If they wanna play hold out, they might as well play get out." pic.twitter.com/pqJZbIVqmk
— Clay Ferraro (@ClayWPLG) April 12, 2025
“And I say that without any hesitation. If anyone’s thinking that, they can be the best player in the world – if they want to play hold out, they might as well play get out. We don’t want to do that. We don’t want Miami to become that. Too many guys have sweat, bled and laid it on the line on that field to ever become that kind of program.”
Miami hasn’t been shy about taking in transfers – Cam Ward nearly won the Heisman trophy in his lone season as a Hurricane last year – but it’s clear that Cristobal isn’t interested in negotiating with players.
Jack Gorman/Getty Images
“No one’s ever bigger than the program,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said on Saturday. Tennessee held its annual spring game on Saturday afternoon, and Heupel informed the team of Iamaleava’s departure that morning.
“That includes me, too. We’ve got an opportunity. We’ve got a bunch of guys who are going to give their all for Tennessee. We move forward. We’ve got a great group. Let’s go compete.”
Tennessee is ready to move on without their former five-star quarterback after his demands were more than they were willing to accomodate. We’ll see if any other top players in college football follow suit, and if any programs have enough interest to consider their asking price.
Related: Tennessee Fans Take Shot At Nico Iamaleava During Spring Game
