Nico Iamaleava wanted a raise. The Tennessee Volunteers didn’t want to give him one. Iamaleava said he would hold out. So, Tennessee cut bait, leaving Iamaleava free to sign on with whichever school he likes.
It’s been a whirlwind for Iamaleava. He went from having an $8 million NIL contract with Tennessee to being a young man without a team. Now, he’ll have to sign with a new school, build relationships with a new coaching staff and teammates, and learn a new offense.
Will Nico Iamaleava’s NIL Drama Impact His NFL Prospects?
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated speculates that Iamaleava’s career could be negatively impacted long term because of this move — and not in a good way. “He’s also naturally raised questions that weren’t there previously about his commitment to a team,” Breer writes. “But if we’re just talking Iamaleava in a vacuum, it seems obvious that NFL teams would look at this and wonder what might happen three years from now.”
Breer thinks Iamaleava seeking more money now could hurt his ability to earn in the NFL. “Let’s say he’d be the eighth pick if he stayed and 25th pick if not. He’d go from making around $6 million per year to closer to $3 million per year. Added up over the four guaranteed seasons of a rookie contract, that’s $12 million — and that’s before you even get to all the ancillary income players make,” Breer explains.
Breer said college staffers and NFL sources believe “it’s not an agent, but family and handlers, perhaps focused too much on what they can collectively make now, and not on what’s coming.”
Regardless, the move has been made — and now it’s up to Iamaleava to weigh his options. Both UCLA and USC have shown interest. Iamaleava attended Warren High in Downey, a suburb of Los Angeles, and the local connection could be strong.
However, UCLA is rebuilding its offensive line with transfer portal players, and USC is facing some of the same hurdles — even though they have Lincoln Riley running the offense and a booster class with deep pockets.
Oregon and Ohio State are also attractive. The Ducks boast some of the best training facilities in the country and have no financial limitations, though Dante Moore is the current option at quarterback. As for the Buckeyes, they’re already loaded at quarterback — so unless Ryan Day wants to roll the dice on Iamaleava, there might be a better fit elsewhere.
Texas Tech is a leading contender to land the young quarterback. They have an offense he could thrive in, and they can reportedly meet his short-term demands, believed to be around $3.1 million.
Wherever he lands, Iamaleava will need to make a decision quickly and get up to speed with that team’s offense unless he wants to risk potentially hurting his draft stock even further.