Nico Iamaleava will take his talents elsewhere during the 2025 college football season after Tennessee moved on from the star quarterback Saturday, ending a high-stakes public standoff centered around Name, Image, and Likeness compensation. Iamaleava helped Tennessee reach the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff in his first season as a full-time starter and will enter the transfer portal as its No. 1 ranked player, according to 247Sports.
Iamaleava’s lucrative NIL contract made him the face of the early NIL era in college athletics when he committed to Tennessee out of high school. His standoff with the Vols also marked the first public holdout between a school and a star quarterback because of NIL pay.
ESPN reported Friday that Iamaleava’s camp was seeking a new NIL package worth around $4 million annually, which would be nearly double his original NIL deal with Tennessee.
Some early potential suitors for Iamaleava’s services include UCLA and USC. The Bruins, in particular, look like an early frontrunner for the Southern California native, but questions remain on whether UCLA has the funds to make it work, 247Sports reports. In that same report, 247Sports’ Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz describe a market for Iamaleava that may not befit the No. 1 transfer, with factors like money, timing and possible baggage coming into play after Iamaleava left Tennessee in unsavory fashion.
If Iamaleava doesn’t end up at USC or UCLA, don’t expect him to transfer to another SEC school this offseason. SEC players who enter the transfer portal during the spring window must sit out the following season if they transfer within the conference.
Here are five logical destinations for where Iamaleava will play during the 2025 season
UCLA
Why it makes sense: UCLA’s basketball program made a splash in landing former New Mexico star Donovan Dent last month. The price tag to land one one of college basketball’s most coveted transfers was around $3 million, sources told CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter.
Could the football program be next to make a big move? The early buzz suggests UCLA will be one of the frontrunners to land the former five-star quarterback.
Out of all the programs listed, the Bruins have the most glaring hole under center. They brought in App State quarterback Joey Aguilar this past offseason, and he projects as the starter heading into the fall. Snagging Iamaleava out of the transfer portal would be a building block for DeShaun Foster heading into Year 2 of his tenure.
USC
Why it makes sense: Lincoln Riley is a quarterback guru with a proven track record of success with transfers.
The hold-up would be that USC already has a capable starter heading into the 2025 season in Jayden Maiava. He spent most of the 2024 campaign backing up Miller Moss, but made a splash after taking over the offense late in the season. USC would have plenty of offensive weapons to support Iamaleava, but bringing him in could upset the balance for the rest of the quarterback room, which includes highly-touted incoming freshman Husan Longstreet.
Notre Dame
Why it makes sense: Less than three months removed from reaching the national title game, Notre Dame again has a hole at quarterack. With Riley Leonard off to the NFL Draft, it’s expected to be a three-horse race between Steve Angeli, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey to earn the title of QB1.
Notre Dame didn’t dip into the transfer portal for a veteran quarterback this cycle to find an instant starter like the program did the last two seasons and was steadfast during the winter window that it would not.
However, although Iamaleava isn’t a veteran starter, he has more starting experience than any of the three listed names and has more raw talent. Angeli’s was Notre Dame’s backup last season, and he did appear in some games — including the College Football Playoff semifinal win against Penn State. If Notre Dame wants to keep tradition by trotting out a transfer portal quarterback, Iamaleava is the best option.
North Carolina
Why it makes sense: UNC could be a wild card team for Iamaleava. UNC’s Week 1 starter from last season, Max Johnson, is coming off a significant leg injury. He is one of three quarterbacks listed on UNC’s roster, alongside freshman Bryce Baker and Purdue transfer Ryan Browne. The Tar Heels don’t have a clear starter heading into Week 1.
Iamaleava would change that for first-year coach Bill Belichick.
Adding Iamaleava would be a significant investment, but it could be worth the swing. It’s the kind of addition that could define Belichick’s college tenure.
Oregon
Why it makes sense: Oregon recruited Iamaleava out of high school when (now) Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham was the offensive coordinator at the school. This addition could make sense if Iamaleava had proximity to home in mind, but the Ducks already have Dillon Gabriel’s successor in place: Dante Moore. After spending one season at UCLA, Moore transferred to Oregon and sat behind Gabriel last season.
Moore is expected to be Oregon’s starter this fall. So, if Iamaleava transfers to Oregon, it would likely create a ripple effect in the quarterback room.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Cavs sweep Heat and complete the most lopsided series in NBA playoff history
<!--> Cleveland left no doubt on its way to Round 2 — and finished off the most lopsided series in NBA playoff history.Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points, De’Andre Hunter added 19 and the Cavaliers rolled past the Miami Heat 138-83 on Monday night to sweep their Eastern Conference first-round series in four games.Ty Jerome had 18 points, Evan Mobley added 17 and Jarrett Allen had 14 points, 12 rebounds and six steals for the Cavaliers — who led by as many as 60 points.Cleveland won the four games by a combined 122 points. The previous record: a 121-point combined win by Denver over New Orleans in 2009.ADVERTISEMENT -->The 55-point margin in Game 4 was the fourth-biggest playoff win ever. The record for biggest playoff win is 58 points, done twice: Minneapolis over St. Louis in 1956 and Denver over New […]
Panthers complete late comeback, push Lightning to brink of elimination: Takeaways
SUNRISE, Fla. — The fierce, physical, occasionally violent Florida Panthers appeared to go a little too far.It turns out, they knew what they were doing.Tampa Bay was temporarily inspired by a nasty Aaron Ekblad hit to Brandon Hagel that wasn’t penalized, but two dramatic, late goals from Ekblad and Seth Jones aided the Panthers to a 4-2 win and a 3-1 series advantage.AdvertisementThe Panthers can clinch the series on Tampa Bay ice on Wednesday night.Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak scored two goals 11 seconds apart, immediately after Hagel was drilled by the flying forearm from Ekblad to give Tampa Bay the lead in the second period.Hagel did not return to the game.Anton Lundell started the scoring for Florida in the second period.The first half of the game was played at an oddly slow, conservative pace, with both teams appearing concerned […]
Panthers complete late comeback, push Lightning to brink of elimination: Takeaways
SUNRISE, Fla. — The fierce, physical, occasionally violent Florida Panthers appeared to go a little too far.It turns out, they knew what they were doing.Tampa Bay was temporarily inspired by a nasty Aaron Ekblad hit to Brandon Hagel that wasn’t penalized, but two dramatic, late goals from Ekblad and Seth Jones aided the Panthers to a 4-2 win and a 3-1 series advantage.AdvertisementThe Panthers can clinch the series on Tampa Bay ice on Wednesday night.Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak scored two goals 11 seconds apart, immediately after Hagel was drilled by the flying forearm from Ekblad to give Tampa Bay the lead in the second period.Hagel did not return to the game.Anton Lundell started the scoring for Florida in the second period.The first half of the game was played at an oddly slow, conservative pace, with both teams appearing concerned […]
Could Paxton DeLaurent be Mahomes’ unexpected insurance plan?
The Kansas City Chiefs, led by superstar Patrick Mahomes, are offering a unique opportunity to a rising quarterback prospect. Southeast Missouri'sPaxton DeLaurent has been invited to the team's rookie minicamp following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft. Although Mahomes and new backup Gardner Minshew have already secured the top two spots on the depth chart, DeLaurent will aim to carve out a role as a potential third-string option.Currently, Bailey Zappe and Chris Oladokun are battling for the QB3 position. Zappe, with a career touchdown-to-interception ratio of 12-14, brings some NFL experience, while Oladokun has thrown just one pass in regular-season action. DeLaurent now enters the mix with an opportunity to challenge both and prove he belongs.He fooled everybody! Patrick Mahomes look alike turns a mall upside down as fans go wildDeLaurent's strong college numbersPaxton DeLaurent, a Camdenton native, made […]
Shedeur Sanders already has a CFL team after being passed over by several NFL teams
The 2025 NFL Draft will go down as one of the most interesting in history, largely due to the story of Shedeur Sanders. The highly publicized quarterback, who had been projected for a year as a first-round talent, was passed over and slid dramatically until the fifth round, where he was eventually picked up by the Cleveland Browns.The Browns, who had already selected Dillon Gabriel from the Oregon Ducks in the third round, surprised many by taking Shedeur Sanders in the fifth. The quarterback from the Colorado Buffaloes had to wait as 143 players were selected before his name was finally called.They got juice! Deion Sanders Jr. brags about the money Shedeur Sanders got after getting draftedThings won't be easy for Shedeur, especially because he'll either aim to earn the starting role right away, or if results don't go well […]
NBA playoffs: Cavaliers hammer Heat in historic 55-point blowout to complete sweep, put rest of NBA on notice
Are you paying attention to the Cleveland Cavaliers now?Cleveland completed a sweep of the Heat Monday night with an overwhelming 138-83 win in Game 4 in Miami. The 55-point margin of victory is the fourth-largest in NBA playoff history.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe win marked a fitting end to a dominant series for the Cavs, who set the tone with a 21-point in in Game 1 and never let off the gas.The Cavaliers advance to the second round of the playoffs, where they'll face the winner between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Whomever they face in that series and beyond is on notice: the top-seeded Cavaliers are not an afterthought to the Boston Celtics or anyone else in the race from the East to the NBA Finals.Cavaliers' historic offense is rolling in postseasonBut those paying attention already knew […]
Related
Cavs sweep Heat and complete the most lopsided series in NBA playoff history
<!--> Cleveland left no doubt on its way to Round 2 — and finished off the most lopsided series in NBA playoff history.Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points, De’Andre Hunter added 19 and the Cavaliers rolled past the Miami Heat 138-83 on Monday night to sweep their Eastern Conference first-round series in four games.Ty Jerome had 18 points, Evan Mobley added 17 and Jarrett Allen had 14 points, 12 rebounds and six steals for the Cavaliers — who led by as many as 60 points.Cleveland won the four games by a combined 122 points. The previous record: a 121-point combined win by Denver over New Orleans in 2009.ADVERTISEMENT -->The 55-point margin in Game 4 was the fourth-biggest playoff win ever. The record for biggest playoff win is 58 points, done twice: Minneapolis over St. Louis in 1956 and Denver over New […]
Panthers complete late comeback, push Lightning to brink of elimination: Takeaways
SUNRISE, Fla. — The fierce, physical, occasionally violent Florida Panthers appeared to go a little too far.It turns out, they knew what they were doing.Tampa Bay was temporarily inspired by a nasty Aaron Ekblad hit to Brandon Hagel that wasn’t penalized, but two dramatic, late goals from Ekblad and Seth Jones aided the Panthers to a 4-2 win and a 3-1 series advantage.AdvertisementThe Panthers can clinch the series on Tampa Bay ice on Wednesday night.Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak scored two goals 11 seconds apart, immediately after Hagel was drilled by the flying forearm from Ekblad to give Tampa Bay the lead in the second period.Hagel did not return to the game.Anton Lundell started the scoring for Florida in the second period.The first half of the game was played at an oddly slow, conservative pace, with both teams appearing concerned […]
Panthers complete late comeback, push Lightning to brink of elimination: Takeaways
SUNRISE, Fla. — The fierce, physical, occasionally violent Florida Panthers appeared to go a little too far.It turns out, they knew what they were doing.Tampa Bay was temporarily inspired by a nasty Aaron Ekblad hit to Brandon Hagel that wasn’t penalized, but two dramatic, late goals from Ekblad and Seth Jones aided the Panthers to a 4-2 win and a 3-1 series advantage.AdvertisementThe Panthers can clinch the series on Tampa Bay ice on Wednesday night.Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak scored two goals 11 seconds apart, immediately after Hagel was drilled by the flying forearm from Ekblad to give Tampa Bay the lead in the second period.Hagel did not return to the game.Anton Lundell started the scoring for Florida in the second period.The first half of the game was played at an oddly slow, conservative pace, with both teams appearing concerned […]
Could Paxton DeLaurent be Mahomes’ unexpected insurance plan?
The Kansas City Chiefs, led by superstar Patrick Mahomes, are offering a unique opportunity to a rising quarterback prospect. Southeast Missouri'sPaxton DeLaurent has been invited to the team's rookie minicamp following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft. Although Mahomes and new backup Gardner Minshew have already secured the top two spots on the depth chart, DeLaurent will aim to carve out a role as a potential third-string option.Currently, Bailey Zappe and Chris Oladokun are battling for the QB3 position. Zappe, with a career touchdown-to-interception ratio of 12-14, brings some NFL experience, while Oladokun has thrown just one pass in regular-season action. DeLaurent now enters the mix with an opportunity to challenge both and prove he belongs.He fooled everybody! Patrick Mahomes look alike turns a mall upside down as fans go wildDeLaurent's strong college numbersPaxton DeLaurent, a Camdenton native, made […]
Shedeur Sanders already has a CFL team after being passed over by several NFL teams
The 2025 NFL Draft will go down as one of the most interesting in history, largely due to the story of Shedeur Sanders. The highly publicized quarterback, who had been projected for a year as a first-round talent, was passed over and slid dramatically until the fifth round, where he was eventually picked up by the Cleveland Browns.The Browns, who had already selected Dillon Gabriel from the Oregon Ducks in the third round, surprised many by taking Shedeur Sanders in the fifth. The quarterback from the Colorado Buffaloes had to wait as 143 players were selected before his name was finally called.They got juice! Deion Sanders Jr. brags about the money Shedeur Sanders got after getting draftedThings won't be easy for Shedeur, especially because he'll either aim to earn the starting role right away, or if results don't go well […]
NBA playoffs: Cavaliers hammer Heat in historic 55-point blowout to complete sweep, put rest of NBA on notice
Are you paying attention to the Cleveland Cavaliers now?Cleveland completed a sweep of the Heat Monday night with an overwhelming 138-83 win in Game 4 in Miami. The 55-point margin of victory is the fourth-largest in NBA playoff history.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe win marked a fitting end to a dominant series for the Cavs, who set the tone with a 21-point in in Game 1 and never let off the gas.The Cavaliers advance to the second round of the playoffs, where they'll face the winner between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Whomever they face in that series and beyond is on notice: the top-seeded Cavaliers are not an afterthought to the Boston Celtics or anyone else in the race from the East to the NBA Finals.Cavaliers' historic offense is rolling in postseasonBut those paying attention already knew […]
Be the first to leave a comment