“College football a joke now.” That’s former NFL All-Pro Micah Parsons’ take on the escalating NIL greed. And he’s not alone. Coaches, boosters, and fans are increasingly questioning if college football is turning into the Wild West—with no sheriffs in sight. The simmering NIL chatter in college football really exploded when Nico Iamaleava bolted from Josh Heupel’s Tennessee program. And now at least one of the schools chasing him is about to flip the whole NIL landscape on its head.
The Power T’s biggest split in years has entered its immediate aftermath, filled with speculation, dollar amounts, and disbelief surrounding one of the most talked-about QBs in recent memory. The $8 million man is officially a free agent. And while Vols HC Josh Heupel tried to lay down the law, stating, “No one is bigger than the Power T, that includes me,” the message now feels more like an acceptance of the situation. This wasn’t just a QB competition; it was a financial showdown. And with Carson Beck and other SEC quarterbacks redefining the market, Nico’s team decided it was time to go shopping.
The clearest window into this saga came when Blue Bloods Bias dropped his personal DM receipts from Nico’s father, Nic Iamaleava, who did not mince words. “Transfer QB Nico Iamaleava is set to receive a MAJOR pay raise at his new school,” they wrote. Nic also confirmed that the sweepstakes are very real and very lucrative.
“The offers we have received are better than what Nico was getting, by a lot!…Nico has offers over $4,000,000.” Four million. Even more shocking was the admission that one of the programs in the mix isn’t even from a Power 5 conference. It’s the Tulane Green Wave football team.
Nic didn’t hold back when addressing the critics and the business-first mindset that has defined his son’s next move. “Y’all in the media need to understand this is business first! And we are allowed to seek opportunities elsewhere,” he said. It was a statement that spoke directly to the heart of college football’s NIL era—a defiant reminder that loyalty doesn’t always pay the bills. But it also exposed the tension at the center of the sport’s identity crisis.
Waiting for permission to post the full DMs, but here are the segments from our DMs regarding Nico getting offers over $4M
I first encountered his father’s page before the weekend, wasn’t the biggest fan initially. But after learning more about the situation and talking to him I… pic.twitter.com/WHnPlSYpbo
— Blue Bloods Bias (@bluebloodsbias) April 14, 2025
This is still college football. Leadership, development, program culture—those things used to matter. The moment you start auctioning your QB1 to the highest bidder, the sport takes one more step toward full-on free agency. And the blowback has been swift.
Nico Iamaleava reportedly had an NIL deal at Tennessee worth somewhere between $2.2 and $2.5 million this year. But that wasn’t enough. He wanted closer to $4 million, and when the Vols wouldn’t bite, the breakup became inevitable. From Knoxville’s side, it’s a loss of a good arm talent. From the Iamaleavas’ perspective, it’s just business.
So who’s on the other end of the negotiation table? Reportedly, there are three suitors: the UCLA Bruins, North Carolina Tar Heels, and…Tulane. The AAC heavyweight just might be the dark horse in this race, with sources confirming serious conversations between the program and Nico’s camp. When asked about it, Nic responded bluntly: “Tulane and a lot of other schools, yes.” If this deal goes through, it would be an unprecedented move—a top-five recruit landing with a non-Power 5 program purely because of a high-dollar NIL offer.
But maybe that’s just where the sport is now. Or maybe Nico Iamaleava is in a bad company….
NIL lawyer calls out Nico Iamaleava: It’s time to clean house
Things are getting a little too loud—and not in a good way—for Tennessee QB (former) Nico Iamaleava. According to NIL attorney Darren Heitner, the problem isn’t Nico’s talent but rather the people in his inner circle.
“Nico Iamaleava needs to put up walls between him and his handlers,” Heitner posted on X. “Get in front of the negativity and rehabilitate his image asap. I hear he’s a good person. But he’s getting terrible advice. The market for his services in college and potentially at the pro level is collapsing.”
Oof. That’s not what you want to hear when you’re trying to build a brand and a legacy.
Heitner didn’t stop there, calling out the silence from Iamaleava’s camp after a social media dustup with journalist Pete Nakos: “The silence from his camp since calling journalist Pete Nakos a b*tch is deafening,” he wrote. “Where are the damage control experts? It seems like Nico has people who think they’re the smartest in the room. But they may be in the wrong room. Will Nico figure it out before it’s too late?” Bottom line: Nico’s got the tools, but if his off-field team doesn’t tighten up, they might fumble his future.
The post Nico Iamaleava’s Father Nearly Confirms $4M Move to Non Power 5 Conference After NIL Lawyer’s Big Warning appeared first on EssentiallySports.