Nico Iamaleava, former 5-star QB, expected to enter NCAA Transfer Portal

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal, On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed on Saturday morning. He was preparing for his second season as the Volunteers’ starting quarterback after leading them to the College Football Playoff in 2024.

Iamaleava sat behind Joe Milton as a freshman before taking over as the starter on Rocky Top. He threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns, along with five interceptions, in 2024 while helping Tennessee to a 10-3 record and a first-round appearance in the CFP.

Iamaleava went through spring practice at Tennessee, and On3’s Pete Nakos reported the two sides were in active contract negotiations on a new NIL deal ahead of the spring game. He then didn’t appear at practice one day before the Orange and White scrimmage. Now, the former top recruit will instead enter the portal during the spring window, which runs April 16-25.

Iamaleava arrived at Tennessee with plenty of fanfare as a highly rated recruit. A Downey (Calif.) Warren product, he was a five-star prospect and the No. 6 overall player from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was also the No. 1 overall player in the On300 Rankings.

Iamaleava made his first career start in the Citrus Bowl as a freshman against a staunch Iowa defense, which ranked among the best in the nation. That performance raised plenty of eyebrows as he completed 12 of 19 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown while also adding 27 rushing yards and three scores on the ground as Milton handed him the keys to Josh Heupel’s high-powered offense.

Nico Iamaleava is one of the biggest names in college football

Iamaleava also came onto the college football scene as one of the highest-profile recruits in the country. He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $3.1 million, which ranks No. 12 in the On3 NIL 100 – the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation. That figure also ranks No. 9 in the college football NIL rankings.

As a result of his NIL potential, Iamaleava’s recruitment made national headlines. Notably, The Athletic reported he signed an NIL deal with Spyre Sports Group that could be worth $8 million over three years, marking a seminal moment in the NIL era. The group ranked No. 2 in On3’s Pete Nakos’ Top NIL collectives in college football ahead of the 2024 season.

Iamaleava notably partnered with Beats by Dre ahead of the 2024 season and added a campaign with The Dairy Alliance to his portfolio of NIL deals. He also saw his NIL Valuation grow from $1.2 million to $2.1 million as the year went along.