Nico Iamaleava Reportedly Misses Tennessee Practice Amid Contract Negotiation Rumors

Nico Iamaleava is apparently holding out while waiting for a new NIL deal from the University of Tennessee.

Austin Price of On3.com first reported that Iamaleava was not at Tennessee's spring practice on Friday.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, the third-year quarterback skipped the practice amid ongoing contract talks with the program.

Thamel noted Iamaleava's absence came as a surprise to Tennessee's coaching staff.

While holdouts have not yet become common practice in the NIL era of college football, it is a tactic that has been used before.

UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka announced on Sept. 25 he was utilizing a redshirt year to sit out the remainder of the season after playing in three games. Sluka's representatives told ESPN's Max Olson his client left the program after only receiving $3,000 on a verbal promise to pay a minimum of $100,000.

Pete Nakos of On3.com reported on Thursday that Iamaleava and the Volunteers were in "active negotiations" about a deal for the 2025 season.

Nic Iamaleava, Nico's father, denied the report in a post on X, writing he "had no idea" what Nakos was talking about when asked to comment on the story.

A 5-star recruit coming out of Warren High School in 2022, Iamaleava reportedly received an NIL deal worth up to $8 million from Tennessee when he committed to the program.

Chris Low of ESPN reported Iamaleava's reps "wanted to see his deal upped to $4 million range." However, Low reported that Tennessee officials said they "weren't going to blink."

There has been speculation that Iamaleava is seeking a boost in pay, particularly in the wake of other quarterbacks using the transfer portal to secure lucrative compensation deals.

Carson Beck and Darian Mensah are believed to be making $4 million annually at their new schools after transferring in December. Beck went from Georgia to Miami, while Mensah left Tulane to join Duke.

Iamaleava's decision to skip Tennessee's spring practice comes days before the spring transfer window opens on April 16.

CBS Sports' Chris Hummer, Brandon Huffman and John Talty reported there have been rumors over the past week that Iamaleava could be interested in exploring the transfer portal, but one person at Tennessee "expressed little concern" about the program's standing with the 20-year-old.

After playing behind Joe Milton during his freshman year in 2023, Iamaleava was the Vols' starting quarterback last season. He threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns in 13 games.

Tennessee finished 10-3 and made the College Football Playoff as the No. 9 seed. The Vols lost 42-17 in the first round to eventual national champion Ohio State.