Nico Iamaleava has officially entered the transfer portal ahead of the upcoming college football season, following a dramatic fallout over NIL negotiations with Tennessee. The former 5-star recruit had inked a multi-year, $8 million deal with the Vols’ NIL collective back in 2022 and was scheduled to earn $2.4 million in 2025. But things took a turn when he demanded $4 million instead and began skipping practices to push his case.
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Tennessee, however, refused to cave. The program stood firm, denying his demands and ultimately showing him the door. Now, Iamaleava is learning the hard way that the grass isn’t always greener—no other program has shown a willingness to match his asking price.
As Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson weighed in on the evolving NIL landscape, both voiced concern over how young athletes today are prioritizing short-term payouts over long-term goals, particularly making it to the NFL.
Sharpe reflected on how things might have been different if NIL had existed during his college days. But even then, he said, money wouldn’t have been his focus. He explained that he would’ve taken less if it meant going to a place where he could develop, get on the field, and prove himself to NFL scouts.
“I ain’t going to lie to you. Imma go somewhere they going to showcase me because at the end of the day yes I want to get money but Ocho I want to go the NFL. College was not my ultimate destination. The NFL was.
“A lot of times when we grew up it didn’t take a whole lot of money. It didn’t take no means for us. You could have given us $10,000. You imagine somebody just hand me $10k and say we give you $1000 or $2000 (per) month, I guarantee you, we got a house with running water.”
According to Ocho, college programs are effectively blacklisting Nico—because a talent of his caliber shouldn’t be struggling to find a new home.
Yet so far, only UCLA has held talks with him, and even they aren’t offering anywhere near the $4 million he’s demanding. According to Chad Johnson, Iamaleava would’ve been better off staying at Tennessee and continuing to earn his $2.4 million.
“For a minute, I thought normally especially somebody like that if you’re as good as you think you are, you snatched up next day. It’s not going to be a problem.
“I thought college were in cahoots trying to prove a point and not give him a deal or not sign him because most of the time the money is already taken care of. But obviously him going down there to the UCLA. I’m sure they gave him something. But I know it’s nowhere close to $4 million,” Johnson said.
Now, no program wants to pay him that kind of money, largely because of the drama that has unfolded and his perceived poor attitude. Teams are wary of players who lack loyalty and seem more focused on chasing a paycheck than contributing to a winning culture. Iamaleava’s reputation has taken a serious hit, and it’s making it much harder for him to find a landing spot.
Adding to his troubles, he wasn’t even that impressive last season to justify a $4 million price tag. Outside of Nico and his camp, no one believes he made the right move. Even if he felt he deserved more, ditching practices and trying to strong-arm Tennessee was not the way to handle it. No player is bigger than the program.
Iamaleava’s actions seem rooted in insecurity and a lack of belief in his ability to eventually make it to the NFL. College athletes are finally earning rewards for their contributions through NIL deals, but they must stay focused on the ultimate goal: developing, proving themselves, and becoming true professionals.
