Per Thamel: Heupel informed team this morning that Vols would move on from Nico.

[Nerwen Aldarion]

His brother is at Arkansas. Wouldn’t surprise me if Dad pushes him there in the hopes of sticking it to us in Neyland this year.

If he transfers to an SEC school then he has to sit out the season.

 

[JMSqb11]

The right decision. The only ones who look bad here is Nico and his camp. He’s hurt his future with this decision and put himself in a bad spot. Maybe he’ll get more money but he’ll be at a big disadvantage having to learn a new system with no time and severely hurt his chances with the NFL. Unless he wins the Heisman, scouts will have to wonder how much his antics the past 24 hours are they willing to put up with.

I mean the odds of him going pro without a full 4 years seem low. So he’s obviously trying to cash in now in case pro prospects fail

 

[The Vin Man]

His brother is at Arkansas. Wouldn’t surprise me if Dad pushes him there in the hopes of sticking it to us in Neyland this year.

I think he’s at Arizona but I might be wrong.

 

[OrangeInKy]

I hope he ends up at Kentucky.

Haha. Me too, but we know they won't pay for him because Stoops complains about their NIL every chance he gets.

 

[IAmTheBelvedere]

It was reported that inbetween the end of the season and before the OSU playoff game that him and his family was shopping around. The way our OL didn't block in the OSU game tells me that was true.


To the people that said we needed to pay players and that there would be no cons to that process......
View attachment 734661

Had not considered this…wow

 

[DEFENDTHISHOUSE]

His brother is at Arkansas. Wouldn’t surprise me if Dad pushes him there in the hopes of sticking it to us in Neyland this year.

Won’t be this year. He will have to sit a year if he goes somewhere in conference.

 

[BeardedVol]

I don't have a problem with him negotiating for more NIL money. I don't think he played well enough to warrant it, but that's just my opinion.

You can't not show up for practice and team meetings though. You're the starting QB and it disrespects your teammates and Tennessee football as a whole when you do that.

He'll be a locker room pariah wherever he ends up after the behavior he has displayed.

 

[TheVolunteer002]

Talk about over playing your hand. What an absolute moron. Guarantee the NFL is watching. Dude damaged his brand big time with this.

 

[Nerwen Aldarion]

I mean the odds of him going pro without a full 4 years seem low. So he’s obviously trying to cash in now in case pro prospects fail

He had a much better chance of making pro by staying at TN. Just poor decision making for a monetary gain that won’t matter in the long run.

 

[C-south]

What are the demands? I just can’t see us moving on unless the demands are ridiculous. I think he deserves market value because other QB’s are doing the same thing.

Irreconcilable differences, will be on the divorce papers..?

The fact that there’s a “market value” is in itself ridiculous. Hopefully more teams will follow suit and start calling bluffs. Being “shook down” multiple times a year by the same unproven guy and his lazy parents isn’t going to cut it.

 

[Indyvol2020]

Right decision by the staff. Roster construction is a complete mess right now. It has to be frustrating from a team building perspective. If players want to be paid, which I agree with, then the program can cut from them from the roster. They want big boy money, there should be big boy consequences.

 

[Dadof2Vols]

They got to get this transfer problem fixed. 100% he was tampered with

This is why enforceable binding contracts would be in the best interest of the schools and college sports in general. But with that concept probably comes employment status, and if there is one thing college leaders are deathly afraid of, it’s that.

Nico Iamaleava’s Holdout Is a Product of Tennessee's Own Making

On February 13, 2024, Tennessee attorney general Jonathan Skrmetti issued a chest-thumping statement outside a courthouse in Greeneville, Tenn. Skrmetti was leg

www.si.com

 

[Nerwen Aldarion]

I don't have a problem with him negotiating for more NIL money. I don't think he played well enough to warrant it, but that's just my opinion.

You can't not show up for practice and team meetings though. You're the starting QB and it disrespects your teammates and Tennessee football as a whole when you do that.

He'll be a locker room pariah wherever he ends up after the behavior he has displayed.

I didn’t care about him negotiating until he ghosted everyone. That was the turning point. You can’t disrespect the team like that and just come back. He would have killed the locker room.

 

[CobbWebb71]

They got to get this transfer problem fixed. 100% he was tampered with

It’s not that hard. Sign your name on the dotted line...breach of contract by either the player or the school...lawsuit.

Moral of the story, contracts have to become a thing in college athletics.

I can’t believe I just typed that.

 

[GAVol21]

His brother is at Arkansas. Wouldn’t surprise me if Dad pushes him there in the hopes of sticking it to us in Neyland this year.

Would be a dream come true.

 

[Vol737]

I find myself not mad but smiling that the adults in the room took charge for once.

Indeed.

 

[RockiesTop22]

We’re the talk of the town again. ESPN front page!

I’m glad we stood our ground here. Let’s spend money on other positions.. none of the last few national champions had a star qb anyway.

Michigan, Ohio state , Georgia.. let’s roll with Merk and build around him- this season may be rough though.

Ps- this makes me sad- football gets less and less exciting for me each season

 

[TheMookieMonster]

I’m not that concerned about Nico leaving. I am concerned though that this will open the floodgates and some of the guys on the roster that demanded raises in the spring are now going to bolt and leave us in an even worse position heading into the fall.

 

[Majors]

His brother is at Arkansas. Wouldn’t surprise me if Dad pushes him there in the hopes of sticking it to us in Neyland this year.

He’s going back to LA, either USC or UCLA.

 

[Spawn]

You can't hold out. Glad CJH stood strong.

 

[SGMVols]

This is why enforceable binding contracts would be in the best interest of the schools and college sports in general. But with that concept probably comes employment status, and if there is one thing college leaders are deathly afraid of, it’s that.

Nico Iamaleava’s Holdout Is a Product of Tennessee's Own Making

On February 13, 2024, Tennessee attorney general Jonathan Skrmetti issued a chest-thumping statement outside a courthouse in Greeneville, Tenn. Skrmetti was leg

www.si.com

The courts will eventually force the NCAA in that direction if the schools don’t do it on their own.

 

[loservol]

It was reported that inbetween the end of the season and before the OSU playoff game that him and his family was shopping around. The way our OL didn't block in the OSU game tells me that was true.


To the people that said we needed to pay players and that there would be no cons to that process......
View attachment 734661

Now we know who wasn't fully invested in the team during the playoffs. What a fricking headcase. They should have left him in Ohio after the game.

 

[CobbWebb71]

In all honestly how could he be worse? It’s not like Nico was setting anything on fire.

We may find that the O-line room “finds it easier to block” for Merk.

 

[Vol737]

View attachment 734652

lol! Priceless.

 

[JCHateSteve]

Had to be done. Good on Heup and White for sticking to their guns and not letting this drag out.