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Nico Iamaleava signed a groundbreaking NIL deal with the Tennessee Volunteers in 2023. At the time, it was rumored that the quarterback's agreement with Tennessee's collective was around $8 million. Now it seems that the decision has come back to bite the Volunteers, as Iamaleava is reportedly asking for more money to play the 2025 season at Tennessee.
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On3 posted the following on their X account this Thursday:
"NEW: Tennessee & Nico Iamaleava are in active contract negotiations ahead of the 2025 season, @PeteNakos_ reports. It is unclear if the negotiations will impact whether he enters the spring transfer portal."
Allegedly, the player is weighing in on the possibility of joining the upcoming spring transfer portal window if he doesn't get his way regarding the renegotiation of his NIL agreement with the school's collective.
Who has the upper hand? Tennessee or Nico Iamaleava?
However, some analysts point out that he shouldn't overplay his hand. It's true that the quarterback room at Tennessee is rather thin, and that the Vols know he's able to carry them to the College Football Playoff (he did so in 2024). It's also true that it would be difficult for him to get as good a deal as he has right now with Tennessee if he were to move to another school. It's also unlikely the Volunteers would find an adequate replacement in time for the 2025 season.
In 2024, Iamaleava had 2616 passing yards, with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. This gave him a QBR of 70.5, which ranked 37th among quarterbacks in the country. Not great, but not terrible either. He also added a solid 358 rushing yards, with three touchdowns in 109 yards.
To back up these numbers, there's also the fact that he led the Tennessee Volunteers to their second-best finish since 2007. The Vols went all the way to the CFP in 2024, with an overall record of 10-3 and the No. 9 spot in the AP Poll to close the year. They fell in the first round of the CFP 17-42 to Ohio State.
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