“Who needs $4M to hand off the ball”: 12YO Tennessee fan takes thinly veiled dig at Nico Iamaleava after his shock exit

Nico Iamaleava cause a lot of controversy and conversation over the weekend.

On Friday, it was revealed that Iamaleava had not attended any of the Tennessee Volunteers' practices due to a dispute over a contract. A day later, Vols coach Josh Heupel said that Iamaleava was no longer part of the team's plans at quarterback, and he will enter the transfer portal when it opens on Wednesday.

Tennessee fans have been taking to both social media and phoning into shows hosted by analysts. On Tuesday, a 12-year-old phoned J.D. PicKell during that day's edition of "The Hard Count" and gave her honest take on the situation.

" Who needs $4M to hand off the ball. I can do that"

This fan is likely repeating what many Tennessee and college football fans in general have been saying over the last few days.

In his freshman year, Nico Iamaleava had a NIL deal worth around $2 million. This would put him in the top 20 of all NIL deals in college sports (according to On3.com). His freshman year was impressive, recording 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns. He was able to take the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff spot, where they would lose in the first round to eventual national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes.

This money, which would have grown as Iamaleava developed, wasn't enough. His representatives sought $4 million in his NIL deal, but when he didn't receive it, he refused to attend training camp, eventually costing him his role with Tennessee.

$4 million would make him one of the highest-paid players in all of college football. This, for the 12-year-old fan, is too much for him to ask for, especially considering what Iamaleava has done to earn it.

The "handing to ball" comment may be a reference to Iamaleava's play in the CFP game. He handed to ball off to his running back 20 times in this game, and strongly relied on the run game throughout his freshman year.

This is not the performance expected from a quarterback earning $4 million. Tennessee fans argue he shouldn't have been paid for something they believe they could have done themselves.

Where is Nico Iamaleava going to transfer to?

As for his next destination, Nico Iamaleava's options are limited. He cannot go to another SEC program due to the conference's eligibility rules concerning spring transfers, and his options are likely limited.

However, there are a few programs that could take Iamaleava.

Texas Tech has been routinely mentioned by experts as one of the potential destinations due to its history of spending money to get top players.

A return home to California, at either USC or UCLA, has also been considered, alongside Notre Dame.

In summary, while his SEC career is over, there are destinations that could provide similar opportunities for Nico Iamaleava.