In the days following Nico Iamaleava's drama-filled exit from Tennessee, the media narrative has been painted as such: Iamaleava sought a more lucrative NIL contract, but coach Josh Heupel and the Vols refused to cave into his demands.
But, Fox analyst Joel Klatt thinks there's just a little bit more to that story.
Klatt joined the Up & Adams Show on Monday to discuss his thoughts on Iamaleava after the Vols quarterback staged an unprecedented holdout and ultimately decided to enter the transfer portal.
Iamaleava reportedly was looking for a contract worth $4 million per year, a significant jump from the roughly $2 million he was making on his old deal. Yet the young quarterback may have had other concerns that had to do with Tennessee's offensive scheme under Heupel.
"There was some talk from his camp about wanting the offense at Tennessee to change a little bit," Klatt told Kay Adams. "Because that offense in its nature does not prepare you well for the National Football League. It's basically the old Baylor offense from Art Briles, and we have not seen a quarterback succeed going from that particular offense into the next level."
Nico Iamaleava's departure from Tennessee is "not just about the money," says Joel Klatt 🤔
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 14, 2025
Could we see the SoCal native end up at USC or UCLA? 👀@heykayadams | @JoelKlatt pic.twitter.com/9F9U4mhL5j
Iamaleava nonetheless showcased his talents in Heupel's offense last year when he led the Vols to their first-ever College Football Playoff in his first season as starter, throwing for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions.
As for Iamaleava's future in college football, since he can't transfer within the SEC and play right away due to conference rules, Klatt proposed two likely destinations—both in the Big Ten—for the former five-star recruit.
"I think West Coast," Klatt said. "Basically it leaves those four Big Ten West Coast schools: Washington, Oregon, UCLA or USC. He's from Southern California, I'd be pretty surprised if he doesn't land at either USC or UCLA."
It'll be interesting to see where Iamaleava ends up, and whether he will find more success in another coach's program than he did at Tennessee.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Joel Klatt Shared Surprising Reason Nico Iamaleava Wanted to Leave Tennessee.
