Ex-Tennessee football star Nico Iamaleava officially hits transfer portal with ‘zero market’

Nico Iamaleava has seemingly overplayed his hand in negotiations with the Tennessee football program, and his mistakes may have cratered his value in the transfer portal.

As a result of the reported negotiations behind the scenes, as well as the timing, the market for the former Tennessee starting quarterback seems to be nearly nonexistent.

“I think he has zero market,” a Power 4 program’s general manager told ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Max Olson. “It will be an interesting test of how smart and disciplined colleges are in looking at him.”

Tennessee announced it was parting ways with Iamaleava over the weekend after the starting quarterback unexpectedly missed practice, reportedly stemming from demands of increased NIL compensation. Since then, Iamaleava and his family have been the subjects of criticism across the college football landscape for their alleged behavior, and they may have inadvertently ensured Iamaleava takes a hefty pay cut wherever he lands.

Some coaches around the country have come out and reaffirmed their commitment to their current quarterbacks, seemingly denying interest in Iamaleava, who led the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff as a redshirt freshman. Still, there is a belief that Iamaleava will land somewhere, albeit for far less money than he had been hoping to get from Tennessee. Additionally, Iamaleava’s potential landing spots are somewhat limited because SEC rules prohibit any players from transferring within the conference this late in the year.

Iamaleava is a native of Long Beach, California, which has led some to believe he would ultimately land back in Southern California with either USC or UCLA. The Trojans would seem to have their quarterback situation in order, as Jayden Maiava is expected to be named the starter. Five-star freshman Husan Longstreet would also appear to be the future starting QB for the Trojans.

If Iamaleava does return home, it would seem UCLA is a far more realistic option. Ethan Garbers, the Bruins’ 2024 starter, exhausted his eligibility, and backup Justyn Martin transferred to Maryland, leaving the proverbial door open for Appalachian State transfer Joey Aguilar.

Aguilar, also a California native, played two seasons at App State, where he threw for 6,760 yards and scored 61 total touchdowns.