"This is getting ridiculous" - Cowboys legend delivers his verdict on Nico Iamaleava's holdout for NIL money

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava grabbed headlines in the college football landscape on Friday. The 20-year-old California native skipped Vols' spring practice over an NIL issue.

Cowboys legend Dez Bryant made his voice heard on the issue as Iamaleava's representative tried to renegotiate his NIL deal with the program.

“I want to see the kids get paid, but this is getting ridiculous,” Bryant wrote on X. “I would make it an incentive-based contract for many of these college kids; the contract wouldn’t be guaranteed because the kids are showing they are not committed…”

Iamaleava reportedly wanted $4 million per year, virtually doubling his existing $2.25 to $2.5 million contract. The redshirt freshman skipped Tennessee's spring practice on Friday and is slated to sit out the spring game unless a new arrangement is reached. Tennessee management, however, did not follow suit and chose to split ways with their starting quarterback.

The former five-star QB led the Vols to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance last season. He finished 2024 with 2,616 passing yards and 19 touchdowns, along with 358 yards and three scores on the ground.

Oklahoma Sooners GM gives verdict on Nico Iamaleava's NIL situation

Sooners general manager Jim Nagy was asked about the NIL chaos surrounding the Tennessee QB. During the Sooners' in-stadium radio broadcast at Saturday’s Crimson Combine, Nagy made it clear — what’s going down in Knoxville isn’t welcome in Norman.

“There are red flags along the way that probably could’ve pointed to this happening,” Nagy told coaches in a group text on Saturday. “This can’t happen here.”

Nagy believes that preventing this kind of situation starts long before players hit the field. He stressed the importance of knowing recruits beyond the highlight reels.

“We can all watch the tape and identify that. But when we have families on campus ... that’s really where we get to know them,” Nagy added.

The Vols’ $4 million standoff and divorce from their star quarterback are now a cautionary tale across college football.