Nico Iamaleava’s exit from Tennessee has left a significant hole for the Volunteers as they head into the 2025 season. The promising quarterback transferred to UCLA, leaving Tennessee with a quarterback uncertainty that hangs over their offseason preparations. With Iamaleava gone, the Volunteers have turned to Joey Aguilar, a player with an unconventional journey but big shoes to fill.
Now, SEC insider and longtime SEC Network voice Paul Finebaum is not holding back about how he feels concerning Tennessee’s outlook for 2025. On Netflix Sports’ recent video, Finebaum said bluntly, “I think Tennessee will struggle this year. They’re good. Josh Heupel’s a very innovative coach, but it just feels like they’re stuck at the moment.” He pointed to the loss of quarterback Nico Iamaleava to UCLA as a major blow.
Finebaum dove into the signal-caller saga, explaining Iamaleava’s complicated transfer path, “Joey Aguilar is now their quarterback. So think about his journey. Appalachian State to UCLA, didn’t play a down. Now he’s already back on the East Coast at Tennessee.” Aguilar’s stats back his capability, over 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in both 2023 and 2024, but Finebaum is hesitant about his ability to fill Iamaleava’s shoes right away.
Finebaum is pessimistic about Tennessee’s playoff prospects this year. He said, “Tennessee will not make the playoffs. I’m very out on that, and it really has to do with losing Nico.” When talking big matchups, Finebaum pointed out how tough it has been for opponents like Georgia, saying, “You know, getting Georgia a couple weeks into the season maybe looks like an opportunity, but I’ve seen a lot of Georgia wins at Neyland Stadium, as you probably have.” Indeed, Tennessee’s historic rivalry battles at the iconic Neyland Stadium have been epic, but the Volunteers will have a tough hill to climb.
This is a developing story…
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