Ryan Clark drags Mario Cristobal into Nico Iamaleava $4M controversy by partially blaming him for Tennessee QB’s exit

Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava has been one of the most-discussed players in college football over the past week. On Thursday, insider Pete Nakos reported that Iamaleava and his camp were in talks with the Volunteers for a new NIL contract. He also reported that this could lead to Iamaleava entering the transfer portal.

Two days later, on Saturday, Nakos reported again that Iamaleava had skipped practice on Friday and would be entering the transfer portal. This move came as a shock as it is uncommon for star players to enter the portal in the spring window. It has also caused a lot of discussion around players holding out in the new NIL landscape.

On Tuesday, analyst Ryan Clark appeared on "Get Up." On the show, he claimed Miami coach Mario Cristobal is part of the reason for this move from Iamaleava. He said he caused this problem by giving Carson Beck a $4 million contract to join the Hurricanes in the winter transfer window.

"He shouldn't hold out because the contract isn't binding, and now you got people like Mario Cristobal, who, by the way, is part at fault of this because he gave Carson Beck, who ain't the best QB in the country, $4 million to go to Miami. There's no reason for him to hold out because he's getting overpaid."

Nico Iamaleava will not have as many options in the spring transfer window as he would in the winter window

Part of the reason this move by Nico Iamaleava has been talked about so much is because of the timing. By entering the transfer portal in the spring window, he is significantly limited in where he can go. The most notable issue is that most high-level teams likely know what their QB situation is going to be. As a result, that cuts out several options for Iamaleava.

However, the much more tangible problem is the SEC rule prohibiting players from transferring between SEC schools in the spring if they want to maintain their eligibility. So, if Iamaleava wants to play next season, he will need to go to a team outside of the SEC, or return to Tennessee.

Although a return to Tennessee is still possible, it is unclear whether the relationship between Nico Iamaleava and the Volunteers is repairable. This move has caused a lot of drama, and as a result, the Volunteers might not want Iamaleava back at this point.