Urban Meyer claims Tennessee is "scr*wed" after Nico Iamaleava's controversial exit

Nico Iamaleava's controversial actions surrounding his contract with the Tennessee Volunteers cost him his starting quarterback role with the team. Iamaleava has now entered the transfer portal and is taking his talents elsewhere.

The saga shocked many, as Iamaleava was set to lead the Volunteers in 2025 after a very successful freshman season with the program. He led the Volunteers to a spot in the College Football Playoff and was very much seen as a future great for Tennessee.

But he is now gone, and his absence will be felt in the Volunteers' locker room. Three-time national champion coach Urban Meyer believes that the Volunteers are the big losers in this situation. He said the following on the latest edition of his "The Triple Option" podcast (via On3):

"Here’s the reality: Tennessee is scr*wed. They got a problem. You lose a potential high draft pick. You have the backup quarterback left from last year, and now you have a redshirt freshman that threw nine passes as a freshman. You have zero experience, and the portal opens as we speak. They are going to have to go get one.”

Tennessee's new starting quarterback is Jake Merklinger. He was their third-string quarterback during the 2024 season (his freshman year) and only made nine passes. This was to be expected last season, as the Volunteers used Iamaleava for all of the important games that they played.

Now, Merklinger has been thrust into the spotlight and will need to rapidly improve and gain as much experience with the Tennessee offense as possible before the season starts.

Urban Meyer on the praise of Josh Heupel

Also in the podcast, Urban Meyer addressed the praise that Tennessee coach Josh Heupel received in the aftermath of the Nico Iamaleava situation (via CBS Sports):

"Everybody’s saying, ‘Nice job, Tennessee, making a stand.’ I’ve got a little comment on that. Tennessee plays Florida usually every year in October. Can you imagine that game’s going the other way and coach Heupel grabs the microphone and stands on the 50-yard line in Neyland Stadium and says, ‘It’s okay, I made a stand way back when.'”

Heupel acted quickly and removed Iamaleava from the team's plans. This effectively kicked him off the team, and he has now entered the transfer portal, so he will likely be leaving. His swift action was praised by many people for "doing the right thing."

However, while it may morally be the right thing, it does not help the team. They have lost their star quarterback, and his replacement is incredibly inexperienced. Tennessee may go from contenders to strugglers this season.