The quarter of Tennessee Nico Iamaleava is therefore, according to reports, negotiate with flights To stay in Knoxville for the 2025 season.
It’s 14 weeks before the start of University football season.
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Welcome to the wild world of players’ empowerment, everyone. Or in the old -fashioned negotiation language: lever.
Unless Tennessee wishes to intentionally deposit its program, it will pay what Iamaleava wants. The only negative for Nico: if he does not play at a high level – among the best in his position in university football – the locker room will eventually turn to him.
Iamaleava is talented but was not exactly an elite player last season. In fact, he was barely among the upper half of the dry.
The only thing we (think) that we know: if he does not reach an agreement with Tennessee, he cannot, by conference mandate, play in the dry in 2025. Unless he obtained a lawyer and pursued the dry – who, at this stage of the world of empowerment of players, would not surprise anyone.
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Here are the five main landing points for Iamaleava if he decides to leave Tennessee for more green:
The quarter of Tennessee Nico Iamaleava led thefts at the university football playoffs.
South California
The road less traveled: back in Long Beach, California. Forget the projected starter Jayden Maiava. He is a solid player but he is not iiamaleava.
Iamaleava knows what the USC coach Lincoln Riley did with the winner of Heisman Caleb Williams, and how he developed two other winners of Heisman (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray) and a finalist of Heisman (Jalen Hurts) as an Oklahoma trainer.
It is the easy movement with the least complications and the largest ceiling of all. Return to the County of Los Angeles and save the USC program.
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The only drawback: playing in the big tens will not be much easier than playing in the dry.
North Carolina
Let’s see how the new Heels Coach Bill Belichick concerns this university thing.
His first season in Chapel Hill was delivered with three quarters on the list: the injured companion Max Johnson, the transfer of Purdue Ryan Browne and the first -year student Bryce Baker.
If Iamaleava hits the portal, Belichick should tell GM Michael Lombardi to sign it at all costs. It is a significant step in the level of play, which would allow Iamaleava to pass quickly and set up large numbers.
Like North Carolina, obvious. Liberty Transfer Kaiden Salter is the projected starter and the first -year student Julian Lewis L’Avenir.
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But if the Cu Deion Sanders coach could get Iamaleava, it would be a game changer. Imagine the Buffaloes offensive, so dangerous with Sheder Sanders the last two seasons, with the big arm and the threat of Iamaleava.
Any combination of Salter and Lewis does not accept Colorado in the Big 12 championship match. Iamaleava could.
Indiana
If Iamaleava is only concerned about the rapid improvement and history of a coach, it could do much worse than connect with IU and Curt Cignetti coach.
He wins. And develops quarters.
CIGNETTI worked wonders last year with the Ohio Transfer Kurtis Rourke, who played five years without an Ohio incident before a season in small groups in 2024 with the Hoosiers.
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It is now probably a late selection in the draft of the NFL and would not have been selected according to its Ohio curriculum vitae.
Oregon
A longhot, without a doubt. But if the coach of the Ducks Dan Lanning and Iamaleava strikes the free market, you must have serious discussions with your attacking staff.
The old recruit five stars talented Dante Moore was transferred last year from the UCLA and seated behind Dillon Gabriel. He is the projected starter, but this inevitability would be seriously tested if Iamaleava should transfer to Oregon.
Frankly, it’s not many questions. You sign Iamaleava – who led his team to the university football playoffs in his first season as a starter – and move forward with him as a starter.
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Matt Hayes is the national editor of national university football for USA Today Sports Network. Follow him on x to @Matthayescfb.
This article originally appeared on USA Today: Nico Iamaleava has a transfer effect on Tennessee, many options
