So how’s things holding up for Josh Heupel in Knoxville? No more Nico Iamaleava commanding the field under the Tennessee sun. The former 5-star golden boy made his choice — skipped Friday practice, staged a holdout, and tried to rework his NIL deal. It didn’t pan out. By Saturday, he was in the transfer portal. And just like that, he’s history with the Volunteers.
And man, talk about a gut punch for Josh Heupel. This isn’t just about losing your star QB, the hope for 2025. This might be bigger. This might be a program-shaking kind of stuff. Nico Iamaleava leaving was just one part of the mess. Since the start of April, 25 players have hit the portal. And the WR room? Absolutely gutted. Squirrel Whitez, Chas Nimrod, and Kaleb Webb — gone. That’s not just depth leaving. It’s chemistry and rhythm walking out the door. And now, with their QB gone, what’s up with Tennessee?
In a new On3 Recruits on April 13, Josh Newberg posted a big question looming over Josh Heupel’s program — “Do we see more players enter the portal from the Tennessee Volunteers or do we see Tennessee get active in acquiring talent?” Interestingly, Pete Nakos, who broke Nico Iamaleava’s NIL negotiation online, was there to comment. “Tennessee now has two scholarship quarterbacks on its roster so that is definitely going to have to be a position of attention and need right now,” he said. Indeed, only true freshman George McIntyre and redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger remain in the Vols QB room.
“I think what’s going on right now at Tennessee is there’s a conversation of do we go bring in a guy who has the experience, who can come in and start day one in the SEC,” Nakos added. “Or do we get a guy that is going to challenge George and Jake but also sets George and Jake up for an opportunity to compete for the job?” Yeah, we’re talking about finding someone who lcan lead the Vols in 2025 and beyond. But you see, both QBs did decent jobs during the Orange and White game inside Neyland Stadium. Combined, they threw for 204 yards and four TDs on eight drives. Not bad at all for a freshman.
Pete Nakos added how Josh Heupel was able to keep Tennessee’s roster intact back in December when they lost key playmakers like DB Warren Burrell, DE Tyler Baron, and OL Addison Nichols, among others. But he made a comeback with strategic additions like DB Jakobe Thomas and TE Holden Staes. “Tennessee did a really nice job of keeping that roster together and they’re going to have to continue to do it in the spring,” he said. TE Miles Kitselman didn’t flinch and gave the vibe that the Vols are ready to roll without Nico Iamaleava. But you gotta wonder, how long can you keep moving forward before the foundation starts shifting beneath your feet? But LB Arion Carter laid it out best — “This is just a true test and testimony of who we are as people and as a team… We’re all we got, we all we need.” That’s the locker room mentality right now. But when the spring portal opens on April 16, we’ll see who really wants to ride or die in Orange and White. Which brings us to Deion Sanders…
Deion Sanders clears stance on Nico Iamaleava
In the middle of this portal madness, rumors started flying. Nico Iamaleava to Colorado? Could Deion Sanders swoop in and make headlines again? Not so fast. The Buffs HC saw the rumors and shut it down real quick on X. “Not true,” he wrote and added a casual classic end. “& God bless we Good.” So yeah, Colorado’s not about to touch this drama. And why would they? They already have Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis locked in and ready to roll.
Deion Sanders is building something big in Boulder. And they’re not trying to bring in a high-maintenance transfer — especially one reportedly asking for a $4M NIL deal. So, right now, Nico Iamaleava is stuck in a weird spot. With conference rules, he can’t transfer within the SEC and play immediately. So unless some powerhouses outside the conference are willing to break the bank, his options are limited. North Carolina, Notre Dame, and USC — these are the names floating around but nothing’s firm yet. Meanwhile, Tennessee’s got to keep its roster intact.
So yeah, Josh Heupel’s staring down a double crisis. Nico Iamaleava’s exit and the wide open portal floodgates. Maybe bring in a other QB? Once the spring portal window opens, we’ll get clearer answers.
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