On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
Why Paul Finebaum is sour on Tennessee's CFP odds after losing Nico Iamaleava
The Tennessee Volunteers have a new — and unexpected — look heading into 2025.
At the start of spring practice, former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava was the starting quarterback after a decent redshirt freshman season that saw him help Tennessee make it to the College Football Playoff.
Things quickly unraveled between Iamaleava and Tennessee, though, as a dispute over NIL money led to the former star recruit hitting the transfer portal. Iamaleava is now at UCLA, and in a stroke of irony, Joey Aguilar, who was expected to be the likely starter at UCLA in 2025, hit the transfer portal and ended up at Rocky Top.
The Vols and Bruins essentially switched starting quarterbacks for 2025, and one SEC analyst, the always-opinionated Paul Finebaum, thinks Tennessee essentially downgraded.
“This was the biggest story of the offseason, with Nico leaving. Joey Aguilar, from App State via UCLA is not the perfect answer. He’s good, but he’s not great," Finebaum said on ESPN's "SportsCenter" on Tuesday (h/t On3). "Nico could’ve been great, even though he wasn’t last year. Quite frankly, I don’t like Tennessee’s chances of the Playoff at all.”
Last season, Iamaleava threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns (five interceptions) while also rushing for 358 yards and three scores. As Finebaum alluded to, it wasn't a superstar year from Iamaleava by any stretch of the imagination, but he does have that kind of potential.
Aguilar transferred to UCLA after a very successful stint at Appalachian State. He threw for 3,003 yards and 23 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. He did score two touchdowns on the ground, but he's certainly not the running and athletic threat that Iamaleava is.
Ultimately, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel bet on himself and his staff this spring. He made a point that nobody is bigger than the program, even the star quarterback, but now he's got to back that up by coaching up Aguilar.
He's a veteran quarterback with plenty of good experience, but playing in the Sun Belt, even at a high-level program like Appalachian State, is different than playing in the SEC.
It may be fair to predict that Tennessee will take a step back as a result, but that's why they play the games. Heupel, Aguilar and the Volunteers will get the chance to prove themselves this fall.
Meanwhile, Iamaleava will have to try to resurrect his image with one of the worst programs in the Big Ten.
More must-reads:
- College Football 26 cover stars put NFL Draft rules in spotlight
- Cover release for 'College Football 26' shows one big change coming to game
- The 'Rose Bowl MVP's' Quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Why Penn State should root for an early end to Texas A&M's season
The Penn State Nittany Lions might be playing extra close attention to the Texas A M Aggies the rest of the 2025 season. On Thursday, ESPN college football reporter Adam Rittenberg wrote about an already chaotic coaching carousel, which Penn State entered earlier this month by firing head coach James Franklin with $49 million owed on his contract, and labeled Texas A M's Mike Elko a top option for the Nittany Lions. He should be even more in demand with Matt Rhule, who had been connected to the job since it opened, signing a two-year extension with Nebraska through 2032. As Rittenberg notes, Elko has ties to the area, playing collegiately at Penn and growing up in nearby New Jersey. Potential deep CFP run perhaps biggest obstacle in Mike Elko becoming Penn State head coach "Elko might be deciding between two well-resourced programs," Rittenberg wrote. "The again," he added, "if Texas A M makes the CFP as a top-four seed, Penn State might have to make its hire sooner." Indeed, the longer the Aggies' season goes, the less realistic Elko becomes as a relocation candidate. On Oct. 7, the NCAA moved to a single college football transfer portal window, set for Jan. 2-16, 2026. The first round of the 12-team College Football Playoff runs from Dec. 19-20 and includes teams ranked 5-12 in the playoff rankings. The quarterfinals, featuring the country's top four teams, are scheduled for Dec. 31-Jan. 1. If Associated Press No. 3 Texas A M (8-0, 5-0 in SEC) ends the season with a top-four seed or goes on an extended CFP run, Elko might be less likely to feature in Penn State's plans. The NCAA's amended transfer portal rules grant players on teams that reach the championship game, set for Jan. 19, a five-day period (Jan. 20-24) to enter the portal, but getting a late start would put Elko at a disadvantage, as most other top players in the portal would be off the board. The earlier the Aggies' season ends, the better for Penn State's ability to lure him from College Station to Happy Valley. Barring a stunning collapse over its final four games, however, Texas A M has positioned itself well to earn an at-large bid if it doesn't receive the SEC's automatic berth. Over its final four games, Texas A M plays on the road against No. 19 Missouri (6-2, 2-2 in SEC) and No. 20 Texas (6-2, 3-1 in SEC) and at home against South Carolina (3-5, 1-5 in SEC) and Samford (1-7, 1-5 in Southern). Even with losses in its two ranked road tests, Texas A M should be a 10-2 team at the end of the regular season, likely good enough to make the playoffs. Per ESPN's Football Power Index, the Aggies are projected to be an 11-win team, with a 96.4 percent chance to make the CFP and a 19.9 percent chance to reach the national championship game, the fourth-best odds in the country. Elko is by far the best candidate being tossed around in Penn State's head coach search, and he becomes more attractive — and unattainable — with each win.
Three teams that should pursue a trade for Titans WR Calvin Ridley
As the Tennessee Titans are free falling towards another season as one of the NFL's worst teams, they will likely sell off some of their higher priced players before the NFL's Nov. 4 trade deadline. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley tops the list of available players on the trade block even as he deals with a hamstring injury. Ridley's big play ability makes him an attractive option for teams looking to add another wide receiver. Even though he's been experiencing an up and down season so far - Ridley has only 16 receptions for 290 yards, he surpassed 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons following sitting out 2022 due to being suspended for betting. So assuming Ridley is healthy enough to remain a trade target, here are the teams that should take a chance on the controversial wide out. Pittsburgh Steelers Aaron Rodgers may have stabilized the Steelers' quarterback position, but that doesn't mean the offense is as consistent as it needs to be for Pittsburgh to truly contend in the AFC. Pittsburgh has only exceeded 30 points twice through seven games. Desperate to increase their offensive output, especially with the defense struggling, the Steelers could use more receiver depth behind DK Metcalf. Acquiring Ridley would provide Rodgers another weapon and make the decision to place double coverage on Metcalf more of a risk for opponents. If Ridley can get back to form, he would unlock an extra dimension for a Steelers team that still holds a comfortable lead in the AFC North. New England Patriots One of the surprising results of the season so far, the Patriots are 6-2 and in first place in the AFC East. But if New England truly hopes to make a playoff push, second-year quarterback Drake Maye may need more at his disposal. To this point, Maye has been forced to work without a true deep threat. And while he's been able to methodically move the ball, Ridley would make his life much easier and stretch the field even more. Seattle Seahawks Another first place team who could use another playmaker, the Seattle Seahawks' offense has started to show signs of weakness in recent weeks. Much like the Steelers, the Seahawks have a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for October. He's been brilliant with three-straight 100 plus-yard games. However, Seattle has only scored 30 points once in its last four games. Pairing Smith-Njigba with Ridley would make the Seahawks more potent as they approach a stretch of the schedule with pivotal divisional matchups coming up.
Charles Barkley knows the real problem with LeBron James
LeBron James may be out due to sciatica, but Charles Barkley is not buying it. He thinks he knows what is really going on with the Los Angeles Lakers star. Barkley was goofing around during “Inside the NBA” on ESPN Wednesday and talked about the Lakers, who had several players out for their game at the Minnesota Timberwolves. James was listed as out due to sciatica, which is a nerve issue. Barkley thinks the sciatica injury is a cover for something else. “First of all, LeBron doesn’t have a sciatica. They just put ‘old.’ O-L-D, with an extra ‘D,’ too,” Barkley joked. An update on James’ condition came out this week, saying that the Lakers forward could return in a few weeks. The Lakers have seemed to suggest that there is no urgency to rush James into action. However, Luka Doncic also getting hurt recently may have changed things for the team. For now, the Lakers are 3-2 and have been relying on Austin Reaves to do plenty of scoring. He is averaging 34.2 points per game this season. James is 40 years old and entering his 23rd NBA season. He’s allowed to have “old” or sciatica as an injury issue. As Barkley knows and often says, Father Time is undefeated.
Blue Jays think Dodgers were relaying signs during World Series
The Toronto Blue Jays think the Los Angeles Dodgers were relaying signs during Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday night. The Blue Jays won Game 4, 6-2, to tie the series at two. Toronto then won Game 5 a day later, 6-1, to go up 3-2 in the series. Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters on Thursday that he thought the Dodgers were relaying signs in Game 4 on Tuesday. “I mean it’s fair game. And we highly suspected that there was relaying, you know, which is fine. But just didn’t want to have the hitter know what was coming,” Schneider said. Blue Jays pitcher Louis Varland kept stepping off the rubber during his appearance and even intentionally balked to move Max Muncy from second to third base. That change kept Muncy from being able to see Varland’s grip on the ball, making it much tougher for the Dodgers player to signal to his teammate at the plate what pitch was coming. That strategy is not exactly uncommon. Angels reliever Kenley Jansen did the same thing while facing the Dodgers during a game in May.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
