Today’s world of journalism never rests.
Something happens. It gets tweeted. Then it gets reported in story form.
And then to get more internet hits, editors instruct writers to put a forward spin on the story immediately.
That happened Saturday when Tennessee dumped its money-grubbing 20-year-old starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava and his delusional agents who wanted his annual $2.4 million NIL deal raised to $4 million.
Immediately, the journalistic spin started.
What would be the best choice for Iamaleava and his next college destination? What program will be desperate enough to be held hostage by a QB who’s seeking a $1.6 million pay bump for accomplishing absolutely nothing?
Unfortunately, some schools will ante up to someone who deserves to spend most of his pro future playing in virtual witness protection for the Sioux City Bandits of the National Arena League or any minor league team whose postgame locker room meal is a sponsor tradeout with a local Dairy Queen.
Last season in his first year as a sophomore starter with the Vols, Iamaleava had virtually nothing to do with Tennessee’s 10-3 record and College Football Playoff berth.
His shortcomings were covered up by a strong running game led by running back Dylan Sampson (who topped the SEC in multiple stat categories) and a defense that ranked second in the league in yards allowed per game.
There was a clear picture of what Tennessee was like without Sampson when he got hurt early in the Vols’ CFP first-round game at eventual national champion Ohio State.
The Buckeyes took a 21-0 lead in the eventual 42-10 rout, feasting on the fact that Iamaleava’s protection shield Sampson, was sidelined. Tennessee averaged 3.7 yards as Iamaleava passed for a season-low 104 yards.
He finished the season passing for 2,616 yards and 19 TDs in 13 starts, ranking anywhere from 8th to out of the top 10 in SEC passing stats. In league games only, he was 10th in passing yards per game just behind new LSU backup QB and Mississippi State transfer Michael Van Buren.
Yet, amazingly, after the winter transfer portal period ended, Iamaleava’s agents brazenly made their initial demand to Tennessee for a new annual $4 million deal.
Keep in mind, Iamaleava signed his original NIL contract in March 2022 in the spring of his senior season in high school. Had he lasted through the 2025 season at Tennessee, he would have already earned more than $8 million.
That’s a lousy return on investment.
Just before Tennessee’s spring practice started, Iamaleava’s legal sharks shopped him to the University of Oregon.
Maybe they figured the school backed by Nike founder Phil Knight’s millions wouldn’t mind throwing some Swoosh cash at Iamaleava.
The Ducks wisely said, “No thanks.” So did Tennessee after Iamaleava on Friday became the first college football player to not show up for a spring practice because of contract negotiations.
Iamaleava finally notified offensive coordinator Joey Halzle late Friday night that he was filling out his transfer portal paperwork since the post-spring practice portal opens Wednesday.
Tennessee’s response to Iamaleava? It was don’t let the door hit your greedy rear end on the way out.
“At the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said. “That includes me, too.”
While the Vols’ players reacted to Iamaleava’s departure like the Dixie Chicks’ lyric from their song Goodbye Earl – “He was a missing person no one missed at all – Iamaleava’s departure is a painful cautionary tale on handing a five-star high school recruit a bag of cash based on his potential.
LSU almost went down that road by offering committed five-star high school QB stud Bryce Underwood $1.5 million per year. Underwood flipped to Michigan just days before the early signing period last December when the Wolverines signed him for $12 million over four years.
The Tigers suddenly had a surplus of extra cash and bought the nation’s No. 1 transfer portal class. They fulfilled their needs with some of the portal’s highest-rated defensive rush ends and wide receivers.
College coaches in all sports eagerly await a final ruling to approve athlete revenue sharing controlled by the schools. Billions of dollars will be shared with current and future athletes in a capped system, and there’s another $2.8 billion in backpay for past athletes.
“I think changes are coming to NIL, I think this is the first version of correction,” LSU head football coach Brian Kelly said Saturday of Tennessee drawing a line in the sand with Iamaleava. “We are going to see a lot of this. This was a new world.
“I think we are going to navigate the best we can, but I think there are going to be other situations that come. I think we are going to have to do the best we can. I think there’s going to be better information that will allow people to look at comps for positions and say, ‘That makes sense’ and ’That doesn’t make sense.'”
Tennessee’s reaction to Iamaleava made perfect sense. Bravo, Vols.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com