'I love Nico' - Tennessee's Josh Heupel gets real about former Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava at SEC Media Days

Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel hasn't said much about Nico Iamaleava since the former UT quarterback departed the program for UCLA in April. 

Instead, Heupel has opted to keep the focus on the quarterbacks that are currently on Tennessee's roster. 

However, on Tuesday, during an appearance on the SEC Network at SEC Media Days in Atlanta, Heupel offered some brief, albeit candid, comments about Iamaleava. 

"Our football team, they cared about Nico," said Heupel. "And Nico is going to be a great player. He's going to have a great career. And I love Nico. I think it's hard for your players in that moment (when Nico transferred). But I think in leadership of any kind, clear, consistent, transparent communication, and also timely [communication] that allows your people to handle it the best that they can [is important].

"It's quarterback. It's unique in some ways. But man, you got to have a next man up mentality. It's going to happen for every team across college football, throughout the landscape of the season. And quarterback's no different in that way. Our guys have handled the change, transition, whatever you want to call it, in a really positive way. It's outside noise. You try not to pay too much attention to it. Certainly, our players hear that. And expectations from outside people may have changed after that moment. But they haven't changed inside the locker room. And getting ourselves ready to go play at a championship level is the journey that we've been on, and what we're gonna keep working towards."

There's been a lot of vitriol directed toward Iamaleava from Vols fans and college football fans in general.

Heupel's comments, though, are a reminder that sometimes things just don't work out, but that doesn't mean negativity has to take center stage. Iamaleava is still close with many of the players in Knoxville, and many of them would likely have his back in the face of conflict. 

Maybe things will work out for both sides in 2025.