Nico Iamaleava claims there is ‘no pressure’ that comes with NIL deal at Tennessee

Nico Iamaleava‘s NIL deal stole headlines when he committed to Tennessee back in March of 2022. The deal could net the Five-Star Plus+ quarterback $8 million over three years in Knoxville, not to mention other deals he has signed since.

Tennessee’s aggressiveness in the NIL market might have cost them an arm and a leg, but they’re hoping the arm of Iamaleava will lead the Vols to the same heights that they tasted this past season. Still, he hasn’t played a single college snap yet every person will call him a superstar, and that he is worth every penny.

That’s a lot of pressure to put on an 18-year-old. But of course, Iamaleava says he isn’t letting money get in the way of taking care of business on the field. There’s “no pressure,” in playing well after signing his massive NIL deal, he said.

The 6-foot-6, 195-pound quarterback has an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.2 million. The valuation ranks No. 12 in the On3 NIL 100, which is the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.

The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.

About On3 NIL Valuation, Brand Value, Roster Value

All this money — and he might not even start right away.

That’s even crazier to say knowing that Iamaleava is the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 class, per the On3 rankings. The On3 Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services, ranks him No. 6 overall.

In his path stands Joe Milton, who is entering his sixth season of college football and his third with Tennessee. Since arriving in Knoxville, Milton has passed for 1,346 yards and has a 12-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio entering his final season of eligibility. Before that, he played for Michigan from 2018-2020 before hitting the transfer portal.

After being forced into a starting role following Hendon Hooker‘s torn ACL, Milton helped lead the Vols to a 31-14 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl. He completed 19 of his 28 attempts (67.9 percent) for 251 yards and three touchdowns

Iamaleava doesn’t begin to match Milton when it comes to expereince, but the hype is there — and sometimes that’s all you need. Everyone knows that Iamaleava is the future of Tennessee football. It’s just a matter of whether it’s this season or next.