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Josh Heupel addresses Nico Iamaleava’s Tennessee exit ahead of spring game
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Tennessee is hitting the field for its annual spring game on Saturday, but head coach Josh Heupel confirmed the program is moving forward without quarterback Nico Iamaleava following an NIL dispute.
Iamaleava was Tennessee’s starter throughout the 2024 season, helping guide the Vols to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. However, he was reportedly seeking a major boost to his NIL package for the 2025 season, and Tennessee ultimately said no dice.
Ahead of the start of the spring game, Heupel was interviewed by the Vol Network to open the broadcast. He confirmed the Vols have 2 guys left in the QB room, signifying Iamleava is gone with Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre left. Merklinger attempted a total of 9 passes last season while MacIntyre is a 4-star true freshman.
“We’ve got 2 guys in that room, excited to watch them go play. They’ve had a really good spring, they’ve grown throughout it,” said Heupel. “Excited about having a chance to get out in front of our fans, and our guys are going to compete today.”
As for his reaction to the last 48 hours, Heupel tried to swat it aside as the “state of college football.” However, he made it clear no single player will ever be above the program, and the Vols are moving forward.
“It’s the state of college football. At the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program. That includes me, too,” Heupel stated. “We’ve got an opportunity, we’ve got a bunch of guys who are going to give their all for Tennessee. We move forward, we’ve got a great group, let’s go compete.”
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
