The hottest story in college football is not dying down anytime soon, thanks to how Nico Iamaleava decided to handle his affairs on the way out of Tennessee last week.
Now, with the transfer portal set to open Wednesday, it will become clearer about whether the gamble to letting Iamaleava walk will pay off for the Vols in the long term. But, the circumstances surrounding the quarterback’s exit from the Tennessee program have been the main talking point over the past five days around college football.
Nico Iamaleava Saga Continues: Transfer Portal Set To Open, Players Looking To Cash In Before Revenue-Cap
On Tuesday, recruiting expert Tom Luginbill joined Dan Dakich for a segment on the current landscape of college athletics, and you knew that Nico Iamaleava would be a topic of discussion. For Luginbill, he had questions about the former Tennessee quarterback dating back to his high school days, and potential ‘red flags’ while he was preparing for college ball.
“I felt in that class that Nico was a top-five overall player based on physical talent,” Luginbill noted. “We ranked him at #23. Because I was really worried, and our staff was too, that there were some red flags and some concerns in relationship to the process, how they were getting to the end point. And it’s been my experience that starts taking place, it does not come to a screeching halt. It carries over into college.
“I fear for the young man that he’s put himself in a position where now everybody is questioning his judgment, their questioning his maturity, questioning does he love football or just love chasing money. Their questioning his camp, father and all of that. And, right, wrong or indifferent, they’ve put themselves in this position in doing what they’ve done..he put himself solely in the crosshairs of people questioning red flags, which does not help him.
Nico Iamaleava Is In Awkward Position, For Now
Right now, Nico Iamaleava finds himself in a very awkward situation, with multiple coaches telling OutKick that they are waiting to see what the market looks like, since his asking price is too high for many.
This is not something that should come as a surprise, as college football teams usually take care of their quarterback needs during the winter transfer portal period.
But, as we continue heading down this road of uncertainty surrounding the most talked-about player in college football, you have to wonder if some schools are questioning whether they should make a move.
Judging by the comments of Tom Luginbill, this is obviously not something that just popped up on the radar of teams across the sport.
