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Danny Kanell praises Tennessee for not getting ‘held hostage’ by Nico Iamaleava
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Tennessee is reportedly moving on from starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, setting off a firestorm within the college football world on Saturday. And while there are a lot of factors in play, it must be said that the Vols are taking a risk under head coach Josh Heupel.
While it does make some sense to avoid paying more for a quarterback after agreeing on a previous price, Iamaleava showed some flashes in his first season as the starter during the 2024 season. Whether or not he was primed to make a jump will remain up for debate, but there is something to be said about the continuity of a starting QB returning for another season.
However, college football analyst Danny Kanell believes Tennessee is making the right call in this matter. Kanell praised the Vols for not getting “held hostage by an average quarterback” and was critical of Iamaleava for what Kanell described as looking for a quick payday.
In a follow-up video on social media, Kanell did describe the situation as one involving NFL stars holding out during training camp to try and earn a better deal. However, he described most of the NFL stars who do so as players coming off of impressive performances, something he does not see for Iamaleava.
“Nico’s coming off a season where he was pretty pedestrian,” explained Kanell. “Yes, he showed some flashes, but against top-25 teams, he had 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Very, very average. And yet, he feels he should be paid among the top QBs in college football.”
Kanell referenced it as “short-sighted” by the player who received “bad advice” from his family and inner circle.
We’ll see how the rest of the offseason and Iamaleava’s 2025 performance plays out, but this is just the latest crazy turn in an ever-changing landscape for the sport.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
