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How is the Tennessee fan base reacting to Nico Iamaleava’s absence? (1:47)

Knoxville News Sentinel’s Adam Sparks joins Paul Finebaum to discuss QB Nico Iamaleava’s absence from Tennessee practice. (1:47)

Apr 11, 2025, 12:05 PM ET

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava did not attend spring practice Friday, sources told ESPN. Iamaleava’s absence came as a surprise to coaches and players, according to sources.

Iamaleava has been in conversations with the Vols about a new NIL contract.

On Thursday, On3.com reported that Iamaleava and the NIL collective at Tennessee were working on a new contract. Several other quarterbacks, including Miami‘s Carson Beck and Duke‘s Darian Mensah, have signed NIL deals for significantly more money this offseason, and Iamaleava was looking to renegotiate his deal.

The situation has become a growing source of frustration among administrators at Tennessee and within the locker room, sources said.

The day before the winter portal window closed in December, sources told ESPN that Iamaleava’s representatives wanted to renegotiate his deal in the $4 million range, but his deal was unchanged. He’s expected to make $2.4 million with the Vols this year, sources said.

With the portal set to open Wednesday, Iamaleava’s representatives were again looking for $4 million, and sources told ESPN that Tennessee “wasn’t going to blink and pay him any more money.”

Iamaleava, the No. 23 overall recruit in the class of 2023, signed a then-unprecedented deal with Tennessee’s NIL collective in 2022, one that would pay more than $8 million over his college career, when he committed to the program.

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound passer redshirted in 2023 and threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns in his first season as a starter, leading Tennessee to 10 wins and a College Football Playoff appearance that ended in a first-round loss to eventual national champion Ohio State.

The Vols are scheduled to play their Orange & White spring game Saturday.

Information from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Chris Low and Max Olson contributed to this report.