Tennessee & Nico Iamaleava are in active contract negotiations ahead of the 2025 season

Game winning throw against Bama, several throws throughout the season. Nico didn’t play well a couple games, but was it truly on him? The oline was terrible early in the season. They got a bit better and he’s Nico wasn’t great in the Florida game. But he made plays to beat Bama, he went insane during the Kentucky game. He could have put up 500 yards of WRs could catch a ball for him. The Ohio State game was ugly but you can’t tell me there wasn’t a certain moxy he had, literally cracking his own helmet to truck a guy. Nico is a special talent. Merk and McIntyre have potential too, but Nico is on another level imo. Expect a huge jump, if we get just average oline play and one WR that can break through.
Yup Nico was the only bright spot in the Ohio State game. He was our entire offense and he was as tuff as shoe leather.
 
Game winning throw against Bama, several throws throughout the season. Nico didn’t play well a couple games, but was it truly on him? The oline was terrible early in the season. They got a bit better and he’s Nico wasn’t great in the Florida game. But he made plays to beat Bama, he went insane during the Kentucky game. He could have put up 500 yards of WRs could catch a ball for him. The Ohio State game was ugly but you can’t tell me there wasn’t a certain moxy he had, literally cracking his own helmet to truck a guy. Nico is a special talent. Merk and McIntyre have potential too, but Nico is on another level imo. Expect a huge jump, if we get just average oline play and one WR that can break through.
He was mediocre at best last year. Stared receivers down too often and held the ball too long too many times.

I'm sick of hearing people say he lead us to a 10-2 season. That was all Dylan Sampson and the defense.

I think he can be a solid QB but he will never be a Bryce Young or someone of that caliber that many were comparing him too.

He certainly isn't/hasn't been good enough to warrant raises every 3 months and we're not even playing games.

Now, had he been coming off a Hendon Hooker type 2022 season, heck yeah, you give him a raise, but he's worn his welcome out and can kick rocks for all I care.
 
Agree 100% this is simply CFB in 2025. I hate it but it is what it is. Once Brandon is on campus let Nico kick rocks but until then we have to bite the bullet or we have no shot for the SEC and or a playoff spot this season .
who is to say Brandon doesnt get a huge offer from someone else before he even gets to Knoxville
 
Let him walk. He was an average SEC QB this past season. He is not deserving of a raise. Can’t wait until preseason practice in the fall when these guys want to renegotiate again. Hit the bricks!
 
I’m just honestly fatigued by this. Once I saw he was looking for more, I instantly couldnt care less about the guy. Hope he leaves. Get your own man, but when there are so many people out there struggling, and he wants more. He can ef off in ——> that direction.
 
This is what everyone wanted “players deserved to get paid@ blah, blah, blah. This is what his second negotiation already since his big initial contract? If I were Heupel I would say bye Felicia.
1. Yes the athletes did and do deserve to get a slice of the multi-billion dollar pie their labor makes possible.
2. Yes the current paradigm sucks.
3. No you wouldn’t.
 
Was that the discussion at hand? The other poster claimed others could have done what Nico did statistically. The statistics back that up. No mention was made of his age. If you want to have a SEPARATE discussion about that…then I would say you don’t get to be paid like a Heisman winner, have a mediocre season and then have excuses made for your age.
It's part of the discussion at hand. You're judging a QB based off of one year lol. Go look at the statistics for Hooker, Burrow, and Herbert as 1st year starters. You're comparing apples to oranges.

Also he doesn't get paid like a Heisman winner. Just because he had one of the first deals doesn't mean he had the best deal. Some of yall can't take the emotions of how you feel about NIL and separate it to look at things objectively.
 
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No, but wasn’t he paid toward the top of the rest of the league and performed in the middle?
He was paid to have a QB to build around because we needed a QB. He wasn't just paid off what they thought he would be as a RS Freshman. Also his deal isn't that crazy compared to others anymore.
 
The fact that this is even is a point of discussion is frankly ridiculous. I thought he already had a deal? Now he wants more on the strength of his performance last year? Wow. He may not care how this looks to Vol fans. If this is really what college sports is going to be (hired guns, no loyalty) then why bother? At least with pro sports you expect that kind of thing and the play is much better .. and players get traded, fined, and released.
 
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Vol For Now. VFN

For a guy (me) that romanticized Tennessee football, thinking all the players loved the Orange like i do….

Tough times on my spirit. Ugh.
It’s heartbreaking. If this is it, then college football died and we are now supporting some semi-pro team that doesn’t give a crap about UT, The Big Orange Nation, or Tennessee. Good luck getting people to give away their money to that. The Titans don’t call me two or three times a month asking for a hand out.
 
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He was paid to have a QB to build around because we needed a QB. He wasn't just paid off what they thought he would be as a RS Freshman. Also his deal isn't that crazy compared to others anymore.
Yeah, I get it, but it just a bad look. Negotiate before spring, then negotiate at end of spring, are we going to go through this at end of fall camp or during the season?
 
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