Nico not at practice today

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Wouldn’t surprise me if he’s back. Heupel won’t renegotiate though. Late transfer and new offense would be a terrible move for him. Kid is getting some awful advice. At same time I’m betting Heupel is letting some of this die down before he makes any decisions one way or the other.

If he does play this year, I bet Heupel has a shorter leash on him. No reason not to bench him and give other guys a chance if he’s struggling.

I think it's a reasonable bet USC has an offer in for him. Their QB is meh and like Heupel, Lincoln Riley runs a fairly exciting offense and has recently had Caleb Williams win a Heisman there.

Whether USC pays him $4M or not, I'll bet he goes home to LA for his last year of college.

If Nico DIDN'T have a spot to land, he'd have been at the walk thru today. He burnt a bridge with the team by apparently being a "no show, no call." He's not smart enough to be an SEC QB if he did that without having somewhere to go.

 

[FortSanders]

Feel bad for the kids who were named after Nico

I feel worse for my wife's dog, who is named Nico. Every time he barks, I now want to kick the shite out him.

My dog, on the other hand, is named Smoky. He can do no wrong.

 

[orange4live]

I feel worse for my wife's dog, who is named Nico. Every time he barks, I now want to kick the shite out him.

My dog, on the other hand, is named Smoky. He can do no wrong.

It's been 5mins since I read this and im still laughing. +infinity

 

[rocketskates]

If the reports are true that he no showed AND ghosted the coaching staff and his teammates, even if he wants to come back Heupel should show him the door. Hes lost the team and his leadership.

 

[TheVolsFrog]

View attachment 734479
Imagine if this comes out as true. If it is and I’m Josh Heupel I’m not taking him back at all. Can’t trust you as a person much less being the quarterback.

If Lanning did call and tell Hype then I gotta respect him. Coaches need to stick together on this and not let these kids try and hold teams hostage.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

Can't imagine anyone with actual pride and guts wanting to go play in LA in front of 47 fans instead of playing in the southeast in front of tens of thousands every weekend.

Evidently it's all about the money with Nico and his clan.

Plus he's probably scared he'll actually get hit in the SEC. Not much at a problem in the PAC 2

 

[aRmo]

Wouldn’t surprise me if he’s back. Heupel won’t renegotiate though. Late transfer and new offense would be a terrible move for him. Kid is getting some awful advice. At same time I’m betting Heupel is letting some of this die down before he makes any decisions one way or the other.

If he does play this year, I bet Heupel has a shorter leash on him. No reason not to bench him and give other guys a chance if he’s struggling.

You dont risk the locker room over 1 player

 

[allvoll21forlife]

He’s not coming back guys. This is over and we are just waiting for the portal to officially open. I’m hearing we are in on another QB that will enter with a no contact clause in the portal. Stay tuned and go vols.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

Brother, evidently money talks and kids can and will leave at any time

Apparently free agency is a day to day thing in college sports. They better fix it or the fans are going to run away. I'm having buyers remorse that I bought season tickets for the first time.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

it's been said repeatedly.....he can't go to Florida....or any other SEC school

I wasn't saying that he was going there. I'm just saying that Florida is going to kill us with what they have.

 

[TheVolsFrog]

I said he is one halfway decent season away. and yes, if Joe f'ing Milton can make it onto an NFL team, Nico can definitely get drafted.

Joe has size and a big arm. Joe looked good in his Pats game and before says he played against walk ons no he didn’t. Joe gets way more hate than deserved.

That said some team may take a shot at Nico late but he’s not shown anything to be going first round.

 

[TheVolsFrog]

He can transfer he just can’t play immediately. He’d beg for more money a handful of times before he even saw the field in that scenario.

No SEC team is going to pay him $4m to sit.
Think his dad bought into the Nico got TN to the CFP hype when actually it was Sampson and the DL

With the amount of coverage this had. Teams may be leery of signing him not wanting the press or looked at for tampering. At the very least a team now knows they have the leverage and not offer him what he’s wanting since there won’t be a bidding war with TN to keep him.

 

[TAF]

 

[Pride85]

This should not be a negotiation at all. I detest NIL as it is, and this is exactly why. ANY player that pulls this stunt should have the NIL agreement nullified and be shown the door immediately. I don't care how good their stats are or how well the team did the year before...period. I thought Nico was going to be good, but he has turned himself into a team cancer now.

 

[TXbenVol]

Bye Nico. Take your trash and loser dad with you.

 

[Legion of Doom]

I’m hearing Florida. Check my record

Can’t transfer to another sec in spring semester so you heard wrong.

 

[Legion of Doom]

I wasn't saying that he was going there. I'm just saying that Florida is going to kill us with what they have.

Lagway is hurt and their roster is mid. Vols will be fine.

 

[Chad F]

This is a tough situation. We might be past the point of no return. If he does come back, how is the rest of the team going to receive him? Pulling this kind of stunt right before the O&W Game, just to increase leverage, I guess?

Overall, terrible look that would seem to confirm all the criticism of this player starting back from his recruitment. There’s usually more to the story, but this is really bad vibe at this point. Very disappointed. Unless some narrative-altering revelation comes out, I think fan sentiment about him is going to be tainted regardless.

Anyone think that maybe this was some kind of “greedy agent going rogue” scenario?

 

[Legion of Doom]

Bye Nico. Take your trash and loser dad with you.

Nico family definition of greed. Do they even work or just sponge off of their mid level QB kid.

 

[StarRaider]

My sense of a timeline

Dad/Handlers shops Nico around to Oregon, USC, others
Lanning let Heup know this (maybe Lanning does not want Nico in the BigPac10?)
Dad/Handlers try to use pressure sales tactics to up Nico's NIL - Heup sez nope
Nico misses walk through
Reporter asks where Nico is... UT staff says "No Idea" and "off the record" tip reporter that Dad/Handlers are asking for double the NIL
SHTF

 

[Smokeyshowl66]

Something to consider. Did Tennessee athletic staff initiate Nico not practicing Friday? Essentially telling Nico and his reps to either recommit at current terms or stay away until he figures out where he’s going.

 

[CAVPUT]

He’s not coming back guys. This is over and we are just waiting for the portal to officially open. I’m hearing we are in on another QB that will enter with a no contact clause in the portal. Stay tuned and go vols.

That you Basillyo? Yeah we all read that tweet.

 

[WebbCobb]

That you Basillyo? Yeah we all read that tweet.

Might have also listened to Andy Staples’ podcast. Look at this guy with multiple “sources”!

 

[WebbCobb]

Something to consider. Did Tennessee athletic staff initiate Nico not practicing Friday? Essentially telling Nico and his reps to either recommit at current terms or stay away until he figures out where he’s going.

My guess is Nico’s camp used the spring game as a deadline to meet their ultimatum

 

[IAmTheBelvedere]

That you Basillyo? Yeah we all read that tweet.

Yo, go have your cup of coffee, you obviously woke up grumpy.