“He Lane Kiffin’d us”: Tennessee fan issues epic reaction to Nico Iamaleava leaving Vols ahead of orange & white game

Before Tennessee’s spring game on Saturday, news broke that Nico Iamaleava was leaving the team. According to numerous reports, he skipped practice on Friday because of disagreements over his NIL contract.

Amid this, fans are disappointed but still confident in the team. A Volunteers fan was asked by reporter Emilie Rae Cochrane about their general feeling, whether they would rather have a QB who wholeheartedly wants to play for Tennessee.

“Exactly, I want somebody that’s gonna put the blood, sweat and tears on the field and represent us as fans. Somebody that we’re proud to come and see," the fan said. " … He Lane Kiffin’d us. He left in the middle of the night, you know, for a sweeter deal but that’s OK.

"We’ve got better talent coming and as long as we can keep that talent coming in, Tennessee’s program is gonna be at the top again.”

Lane Kiffin only led the Volunteers for one season in 2009. He finished with a 7-6 record before unexpectedly leaving.

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Nico Iamaleava and Tennessee Volunteers’ disagreement began in January

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel told the team on Saturday that they’re moving on from Nico Iamaleava after he missed Friday’s practice without telling anyone. The situation had been building for a while.

In January, lamaleava's reps asked the Vols to raise his pay to around $4 million, after he was making $2.4 million a year, with a deal that could have reached nearly $10 million. The team said no and tensions grew from there.

According to ESPN, word got out that Iamaleava's representative reached out to other schools like Oregon (which wasn’t interested) before spring practice started.

Iamaleava just finished his first year as a starter. In 2024, he recorded 2,616 yards and completed 63.8% of his passes for 19 touchdowns. He took Tennessee to a 10-3 season and playoff appearance. The Volunteers are left with only two other QBs, and neither has played in a real game.

Because of SEC rules, Iamaleava can’t transfer to another SEC program and play immediately. Tennessee can’t bring in a QB from another SEC team either, at least not one who can play this year. Redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger is the top option to be the program's starting QB next season.