Nico Iamaleava Reportedly Enters CFB Transfer Portal With Do Not Contact Tag

On the day the spring transfer window opens, Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava has entered the portal.

Per Pete Nakos of On3.com, Iamaleava put his name in the portal with a do not contact tag.

The move has been expected after Iamaleava's relationship with the Tennessee football program seemed to deteriorate last week.

Nakos reported on April 10 that Iamaleava was negotiating a new deal with the Volunteers' NIL collective. The two sides couldn't agree to terms ahead of their spring practice on Friday, resulting in the third-year quarterback skipping the event.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Saturday that Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel informed the team they were "moving on" from Iamaleava, who submitted his paperwork to the school to enter the transfer portal.

The NIL money figures to play a big role in where Iamaleava lands. He was seeking $4 million on a new deal from Tennessee, but Thamel and Max Olson noted he will be "seeking much more" than that through the transfer portal.

There's skepticism Iamaleava will be able to land the type of deal he's looking. One general manager at a Power 4 school told Thamel and Olson they believe he has "zero market" right now.

Thamel and Olson also reported that marquee programs with unsettled quarterback situations for next season like USC, Notre Dame and North Carolina not showing "significant interest" in Iamaleava at this point.

Another potential stumbling block for Iamaleava's camp is most programs have already their quarterback salaries structured for the 2025 season, per Thamel.

A "do not contact" tag for a player in the transfer portal essentially means the player's camp will do the negotiating work with specific programs and coaches can't get in touch with him or his representatives on their timeframe.

Iamaleava will have just over a week to find a new school. The spring transfer window closes on April 25.

A 5-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, Iamaleava threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns last season for the Vols.