By Mike Farrell
This needed to happen. For college football to move forward in the NIL era, greed must make its presence felt first. And Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava will be the name many remember for years.
By all accounts Iamaleava is a good kid. He’s a hard worker, he’s well liked and he’s talented. And I don’t believe for a second he’s the one pushing this agenda of greed. Agents, handlers and parents have now gotten a taste of the money that can be had in college football and they press forward while the player gets an awful reputation. Jaden Rashada is a perfect example after the adults in his life led to decommitments, NIL demands and his third transfer. Now his reputation is besmirched forever. And Iamaleava is next.
Both players were highly ranked coming out of high school and recruited nationally. The difference? The apparent money and promises made to Rashada by the Florida Gators weren’t met and Iamaleava was reported to have inked an $8 million deal with the Tennessee Vols. Did I believe any of these outlandish numbers at the time? I didn’t. But I think I do now.
So now that it’s being reported that Iamaleava and his representatives want to double his annual take from the Vols, Tennessee had no choice but to move on — and they are. The talented QB will hit the portal and become the face of all that is wrong with college football and NIL. But what happens next?
Tennessee will move forward with much less experience at QB and Josh Heupel will struggle building on a very good 2024 season. Iamaleava will not attract the $4 million he seeks and will likely end up making as much or even less than he would have at Tennessee. College coaches are impetuous and over zealous but they aren’t stupid. This kid has become an immediate cancer for any locker room and anyone who meets his representatives demands will have a huge internal NIL issue of their own to deal with.
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And the NFL is always watching. As Rashada’s career is now devoid of any NFL future, Iamaleava’s stock just plummeted in the NFL as well. As a thin QB with good accuracy but a solid but not spectacular arm, he wasn’t a high end first round candidate anyhow. Now? As a hired gun led by greed mongers, his stock is as low as it’s been. He quit on his team for greed. That doesn’t fly well in the NFL.
But, like I said, all of this was needed. Someone was eventually going to do this. And someone was going to derail their career for the good of college football. Why? Because as unsustainable as this model continues to be, everyone will have to get their act together to make it sustainable. To simplify — the more greedy, unscrupulous people who have their hands out, the quicker this will be fixed.
So Tennessee fans can be upset about all of this, and rightly so. And whatever team is foolish enough to “win” this bidding war will undoubtedly leave another disappointed fan base in their wake. The rest of us can smile. College football is in big trouble with zero rules and guardrails. But Nico Iamaleava is helping change that. All with greed.
