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Why Josh Heupel hasn't talked to Nico Iamaleava since he left Tennessee football
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- Why Josh Heupel hasn't talked to Nico Iamaleava since he left Tennessee football
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel said he hadn't communicated with Nico Iamaleava since the quarterback skipped Friday's practice, escalating a dispute over NIL pay into his stunning departure from the program .
"Today's landscape of college football is different than what it has been. It's unfortunate, just the situation and where we're at with Nico," Heupel said following the Orange and White spring game at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
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"I want to thank him for everything that he's done since he's gotten here. Obviously, we're moving forward as a program without him. There's no one that's bigger than the Power T and that includes me."
Iamaleava skipped practice on Friday and cut off communication with the coaching staff. Before the spring game Saturday, Heupel told the team UT was moving forward without Iamaleava, the starting quarterback and former five-star recruit.
When Heupel came to the podium on Saturday, he still hadn't gotten in touch with Iamaleava despite several attempts. Heupel said he knew the Vols had to cut ties with Iamaleava on "Friday morning when he's a no-show. You come off the practice field and there's no communication."
Tennessee will add a quarterback from the transfer portal
In Iamaleava's absence, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and freshman George MacIntyre played quarterback in the spring game. They had highs and lows, but UT must add another scholarship quarterback to an already thin position.
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"You're always evaluating what you have on your roster, where you're I'm gonna say vulnerable, where numbers might not be right (because of) injuries or whatever," Heupel said. "You're trying to get your roster where it needs to be to give yourself the best chance when you get to kick off in the fall.
"And certainly with only two scholarship players at the quarterback position, we're going to have to find another guy."
The transfer portal opens on April 16. Iamaleava is expected to enter it following what appeared to be a holdout. Iamaleava sought a renegotiation to his NIL deal, which reportedly paid him more than $2 million per year .
Last season, Iamaleava passed for 2,616 yards, 19 TDs and five interceptions. The Vols offense struggled at times, but Iamaleava led them to a 10-3 record and UT's first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
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How Nico Iamaleava NIL situation got to this point
Iamaleava's situation escalated quickly.
On Thursday, On3.com 's Pete Nakos reported that Iamaleava is negotiating a new multimillion-dollar NIL deal just ahead of the transfer portal opening.
In 2022, Iamaleava signed a blockbuster NIL contract, which reportedly paid him more than $2 million per year and paved the way for the five-star recruit to sign with Tennessee. But the market has risen for the highest paid quarterbacks.
Iamaleava has not commented about the situation, but his absence at least gave the optics of a holdout. ESPN's Chris Low , citing sources, reported that Iamaleava's representatives wanted his NIL pay increased to $4 million.
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That would align with blockbuster NIL contracts involving college quarterbacks this offseason. Miami's Carson Beck and Duke's Darian Mensah got close to $4 million, CBS Sports reported , but they had to go into the portal to get those deals.
Spyre Sports Group, the NIL collective that pays Iamaleava, has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Knox News.
His father, Nic Iamaleava, has not responded to a Knox News request for comment. But he responded to the initial report with a post on social media.
"More games being played off the field than on the field," Nic Iamaleava wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "... Nakos from @On3sports called and asked me directly, I told him I had no idea on what he's talking about. He said his "close source" that he trusts with his life from the University of Tennessee staff gave him this information. So y'all can ask them what's going on, cuz it ain't from us!"
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But when Iamaleava didn't attend practice or answer his coaches' phone calls, the situation took a disappointing turn for Tennessee and its one-time quarterback.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Josh Heupel hasn't talked to Nico Iamaleava since he left Tennessee football
