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Tennessee fan lights Nico Iamaleava jersey on fire after decision to transfer

Stephen Samraby:Steve Samra•about 14 hours•

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Nico Iamaleava
Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

There’s no love left between Nico Iamaleava and the Tennessee fanbase, it seems. After the quarterback decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal amid NIL negotiations that turned ugly, at least one fan has taken to the old fashion, tried and true method of saying goodbye to a player scorned — burning his jersey.

Check out the video below, shared to X by user Drake Hickman. In response to the Iamaleava news, he lit the jersey up in flames like it was the 4th of July. As the smoke billowed, Iamaleava’s sunk in — he won’t be the quarterback of the Volunteers any longer, and his future is uncertain as ever.

Alas, it’s unfortunate to see what’s become of the relationship between Iamaleava and Tennessee over the past few days, but it’s evident the quarterback is ready to leave the Volunteers in the rearview. As their starting quarterback last season, he threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns and five interceptions, while rushing for 358 yards and three more scores on the ground.

Iamaleava started every game for the Volunteers in 2024. His biggest accomplishment was helping guide Tennessee (10-3) to their first College Football Playoff berth, and he seemed destined for more, but it won’t come to fruition in Knoxville.

More on Nico Iamaleava, NCAA Transfer Portal

Meanwhile, Paul Finebaum is trying to figure out where the former five-star recruit, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, will end up playing next. Nico Iamaleava should have plenty of options.

According to Finebaum, teams on the West Coast would make the most sense for the 20-year old. He’s theorizing Oregon and USC will be in the mix, but there will be some trepidation due to how Iamaleava’s situation was handled in Knoxville. 

“He grew up in California, so you have to look to that direction,” Finebaum stated, via SportsCenter. “One interesting part of this is he can’t go anywhere within the SEC. There is a new clause — in the spring portal, you can’t go within the SEC. Now, you can do that in the portal that ends after the season. So I would have to guess the West Coast. 

“Obviously, there’s plenty of places out there — Oregon, USC, natural places. But I wonder, how excited our school is going to be to deal with his representatives? And I say his representatives — his father is involved. He’s got agents involved. This is a very nasty situation. It has left a stench across college football. So, I would say buyer beware.”