Nico Iamaleava may have overplayed his hand in NIL dispute

Iamaleava was set to make $2.5 million at Tennessee before reportedly asking for a $1.5 million raise, which the Vols rebuffed, prompting his stunning spring exit.

Last season, Iamaleava led Tennessee to the College Football Playoff, where it lost to eventual national champion Ohio State in the first round.

In 13 starts, Iamaleava was 213-of-334 (63.8 percent) for 2,616 yards (7.8 yards per attempt), 19 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Per On3, his NIL valuation is $3.1 million. However, with SEC rules prohibiting him from transferring within the conference and limited power conference options elsewhere, Iamaleava could struggle to earn that much in the spring portal.

Iamaleava was a five-star recruit out of high school and the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2023 class.

A few of the non-SEC teams that showed interest in him out of high school are logical fits this fall. Miami, UCLA, Oregon State and Florida State have already dipped into the portal. Arizona, Arizona State, BYU and Pittsburgh have established returning starters. USC, Oregon and Ohio State are expected to hand the reins to promising young players who already know their offensive systems. 

Notre Dame has a quarterback battle between redshirt junior Steve Angeli and redshirt freshman CJ Carr. While the Irish were successful after adding Riley Leonard via the portal, they might not be desperate enough to acquiesce to Iamaleava’s NIL demands.

On Monday, On3’s Pete Nakos reported that North Carolina, initially expected to show interest, was unlikely to pursue the junior quarterback.

That might change when, not if, Iamaleava’s price drops. As one power conference school general manager told ESPN on Tuesday: “I think he has zero market.”

“It will be an interesting test of how smart and disciplined colleges are in looking at him,” the general manager added.

Iamaleava seemingly badly misjudged his value on the open market. With few teams calling, he might have to take less than he was owed at Tennessee to find a home in 2025.