Pete Thamel considers Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee reunion 'highly unlikely'

The options for Nico Iamaleava appear to be limited. After having a public breakup with Tennessee, suitors for the quarterback have been dropping out. North Carolina and Tulane were named as potential landing spots initially by On3’s Pete Nakos. Since then, they have decided to go in different directions.

So this brings the question of a potential reunion between Tennessee and Iamaleava. Could there be some kind of fix between the two, bringing Iamaleava back to Knoxville for the 2025 season? While an interesting idea, ESPN’s Pete Thamel considers it “highly unlikely.”

“Consider, publicly, what his side said today,” Thamel began on The Pat McAfee Show. “Look, Josh Heupel had to cut ties after he skipped practice. I think it’s highly, highly, highly, highly unlikely. I would never say never but I would think it’s a less than 1% chance… Just considering how tense things are right now, I’d be pretty shocked if a reunion happened right now.”

Tennessee was prepared to roll with Iamaleava for at least the next year. His debut campaign as the starting quarterback got the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff, throwing for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

Even so, you could tell the puzzle was not completely put together. Iamaleava was set to take a massive step in his second season, something Thamel went on to point out. Tennessee is still likely the best fit for Iamaleava, from a football perspective. Unfortunately, the bridge appears to have been burned after the events of the past week.

“In a lot of ways, it’s the best place for him,” Thamel said. “He had a very good first year as the starter. And that Heupel system, if you look back, historically, the guys get locked and loaded in the second year. That’s when everything becomes second nature. Tennessee upgraded its offensive line, it has better receivers. Nico was not in position to thrive last year, he played well… I would have thought he would emerge as a top-five SEC quarterback this season.”

On Wednesday, Nakos gave an update on where UCLA potentially fits into the equation. The NCAA transfer portal is now officially open, so Iamaleava is available to speak to schools. However, he did enter with a ‘Do Not Contact’ tag attached to his name.

Where the former five-star quarterback winds up playing in 2025 will dominate headlines throughout the offseason. Thamel can cross at least one destination off the list and that’s a Tennessee reunion.