The 2024 season had been too much for Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers. They had their share of hits and misses. They got close to the Natty, making the playoffs for the first time. But they failed to bring the title home. In that case, Heupel would chase the title this time. However, he already got the biggest setback of the season. All thanks to the Nico Iamaleava drama. However, the head coach refuses to dwell in the past. Why would he? After all, the Vols have a new quarterback in the room. And turns out that Heupel has already moved on. So much so, that he can now do without taking Iamaleava’s name and no longer wants any negativity around. As the head coach managed the whole situation with such grace, he gained a big praise from one of the most critical entities in college football, Paul Finebaum.
Who was the show stealer for the month of April in college football? Has to be the former Vols quarterback, Iamaleava. Not for the good reasons, of course. Long story short, the quarterback’s idea of a “maximum possible” paycheck way overshot what Tennessee was willing to pay. As per the reports, the quarterback had already signed a $2 million NIL deal with Huepel’s squad. However, he was not ready to feel content with it. So, what did he do next? Iamaleava and his representatives were looking for a $4 million per year bump in his NIL earnings. That’s when Heupel thought enough was enough and pulled the brakes. He then confirmed that Tennessee would continue without Iamaleva. While the quarterback signed up with UCLA, the universe did not make Heupel wait for long to fill the gaps. More of a swapping action transpired.
(Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
The Bruins lost their quarterback, who planned to enter the transfer portal. Finally, on April 29, Joey Aguilar committed to Tennessee. As per the reports, Aguilar had $1.2 million remaining to be paid under the NIL terms he had at UCLA, and Tennessee will pay him a similar amount. Given his stats, the quarterback at Appalachian State came up with 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns in two seasons combined. He was yet to show his magic at UCLA as he had committed on December 28, 2024. Now that Iamaleava is in the Bruins, it was his time to hit the exit doors. Turns out that Heupel already feels good about the new young chap in the hood. On April 30th, the Tennessee head coach made an appearance on the 104-5 The Zone podcast. And obviously, Iamalaeva’s topic was bound to come up.
The host stirred the pot a little with a hot question. “Obviously the Nico situation. I’m just curious from your point of view in today’s world of college football with all of the transitions and everything. How surprised were you by the way that all played out and that he’s no longer on that roster?” Well, Heupel kept his composure and came up with a rather calm reply. “Let’s start calling it the Joey Aguilar situation.” The head coach now believes in focusing only on the journey ahead. “At the end of the day, that’s just the landscape. You’re not going to keep everybody …I feel like we got a team that’s accountable, connected, works hard, competes hard, and we’re built to win now.” When other head coaches are already fired up at what Iamaleava did, Heupel’s security left him to slip into Finebaum’s good books.
It’s time for Josh Heupel to look forward and not back
The Iamaleava departure had no business with other programs. However, Mario Cristobal had addressed the issue firmly, setting out a clear warning for his players. “And I say that without any hesitation. If anyone is thinking that, they can be the best player in the world. If they wanna play holdout, they might as well play get out. Don’t want to do that, [and I] don’t want Miami to become that.” Cut to Heupel, the head coach just called the situation “unfortunate” and thanked him for his work at Tennessee.
And this calm demeanor did not go unnoticed. ESPN’s Finebaum is very confident in the job security of Tennessee coach Heupel. On the McElroy and Cubelic podcast, he stated, “In the interim, he is a hero. There’s no question on that conversation. Ultimately, every coach is graded in the same way, but we’ve seen in different situations … I guess I want to say it doesn’t really matter what the record is, and I’m going to say it really doesn’t matter what the record is this year, because Josh Heupel has earned the goodwill of that fan base and really of a lot of people.” Meanwhile, analysts predicted that the Vols belong to Tier 2 moving into this season. That means, they could make it to the playoffs, but not win the Natty.
However, the narrative is likely to change now that Joey Aguilar is there. Josh Heupel’s new quarterback has already tapped into the mode of high energy. As he committed to Tennessee, he came up with a fiery message. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the traditions, the fans, and the legacy of winning at Tennessee. I’m ready to get to work, compete at the highest level and build something special with my teammates and coaches. I can’t wait to get to Rocky Top! I’m ready to Give My All for Tennessee.” Let’s hope missing Iamaleava becomes ancient history for the Vols.
The post Josh Heupel Refuses to Take Nico Iamaleava’s Name After Controversy as Paul Finebaum Makes Big Claim appeared first on EssentiallySports.