Dec 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) throws against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half of the College Football Playoff first round game at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 42-17. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-Imagn Images / Adam Cairns-Imagn Images
Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s time in Knoxville is over, sources told ESPN. Volunteers coach Josh Heupel informed his team Saturday ahead of its Orange and White Game that they would be moving forward without the former five-star quarterback.
Iamaleava, a Long Beach, California, native has been linked to several west coast schools, including the USC Trojans. The spring transfer portal window opens, Wednesday, April 16.
Dec 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) throws against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half of the College Football Playoff first round game at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 42-17. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-Imagn Images / Adam Cairns-Imagn Images
Reports first emerged on Thursday that described Iamaleava and Tennessee were going through “contract negotiations” as the Volunteers signal-caller was seeking a raise that would pay him $4 million dollars. Iamaleava was absent from practice Friday, which came as a surprise to the Tennessee staff after he attended a position dinner on Thursday night.
Iamaleava signed a blockbuster NIL deal coming out of Warren (Calif.) high school in the 2023 recruiting cycle that would pay him around $8 million deal over the life of his college career, the first of its kind at the time. He was set to make around $2.2 million this year, but in the growing market for a premier quarterback, the price is going up.
Miami quarterback Carson Beck and Duke quarterback Darian Mensah reportedly received deals that will pay them $4 million dollars this upcoming season, but both had to enter the transfer portal to receive it.
Iamaleava lead the Volunteers a 10-3 record and a berth in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff in his first season as a starter in 2024. He threw for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions, while completing 63.8-percent of his passes.
“I don’t think we’ll be incredibly active, during that, my gut is we’ll end up having a handful of positions that we’re going to look at, if we feel like someone fits then we may pursue them,” said USC coach Lincoln Riley on the transfer portal this week.
So, now the question becomes, does Riley and the Trojans staff believe Iamaleava would be an upgrade over what is on the roster now?
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Redshirt junior Jayden Maiava took over as the Trojans starter late in the 2024 season and went 3-1 as starter. Maiava threw 11 touchdowns and added another four on the ground. As impressive as that was, he did also throw six interceptions, including three pick-sixes and had only one game where he completed more than just 57 percent of his passes.
Maiava enters year two in Riley’s system and has had an entire offseason as the presumed starter to make major strides as the Trojans signal-caller.
Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
And then there’s Husan Longstreet, a highly touted five-star prospect out of Corona Centennial (Calif.) high school. Longstreet has been on campus since mid-December and took part in bowl practice. The local product is viewed as the future of the program and has been challenging Maiava this spring.
“Husan is further ahead than most freshmen at this time,” Riley said.
At 6-6, 220 pounds, Iamaleava possesses elite arm talent and the ability to make off-platform throws and out of structure plays with ease. Heupel is a great offensive mind in his own right, but nobody has a resume that matches Riley’s: three Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks and three No. 1 overall picks — Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Caleb Williams.
Not to mention Jalen Hurts just won Super Bowl MVP this past season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Spencer Rattler started multiple games this past season for the New Orleans Saints, giving Riley at one point five former quarterbacks that were NFL starters at the same time.
USC could very much be satisfied with the state of its quarterback room and pleased with the progress of Maiava heading into the 2025 season and decide not to get into the Iamaleava business. However, former five-star quarterbacks that have had success at the collegiate level don’t come available very often.
UCLA, Texas Tech, Oregon, North Carolina, Colorado and Notre Dame are all schools that could get involved in the Iamaleava sweepstakes. Players in the SEC cannot transfer inside the conference during the spring transfer portal window.
