6 days Ago By Charlie Wilson
Nico Iamaleava will not be joining Bill Belichick at North Carolina with the legendary head coach missing out on the quarterback due to their financial situation In an unprecedented situation, Iamaleava held out of Tennessee's spring practice last week while looking for a new contract with his NIL deals while with the school. This left head coach Josh Huepel to make the decision to essentially kick him off the team , with the 20-year-old now set to transfer to another school to continue his education and playing career. Iamaleava is seen as one of the most talented quarterbacks in college football and could be the number one pick in the 2026 NFL Draft should he impress this season.
But that year will not be played under Belichick, with North Carolina reported as being out of the running to bring him in, according to On3 . The Tar Heels will move forward with Max Johnson, who had previously started for LSU in 2021 and had been the back-up for the team last season, while competing with freshman Bryce Barker - who is seen as their long-term guy. Iamaleava looks set to return to California, with USC now being the favorites to land him.
He could look to become the latest quarterback under Lincoln Riley to win a Heisman Trophy and be drafted first overall. Riley has developed the likes of Caleb Williams , Baker Mayfield , Kyler Murray , Jalen Hurts and Spencer Rattler , as one of the better offensive playcallers at the college level. Iamaleava has options elsewhere to consider too, though, including Notre Dame, UCLA and Tulane, with the likes of Ohio State, Alabama and Georgia appearing to be ruled out.
The junior quarterback completed 63.8% of his passes for 2,616 yards with a 19-5 touchdown-interception ratio last season in Tennessee's quarterback-friendly offense. His holdout is one of the first high-profile disputes in the NIL-era, with college players only being allowed to profit from their likeness over the last four years, and is a scenario almost completely foreign to the sport of College Football - more commonly seen in the NFL where players look for new contracts.
The transfer portal is set to open on April 16 and will close on April 25, giving Iamaleava just less than two weeks to make his decision, with the door seemingly closed on returning to the Volunteers. **Want to watch more live sports? Peacock has your favorite sports, shows, and more all in one place. ** Peacock offers plans starting at $7.
99 ** so you can stream live sports like NFL, Premier League, and Big Ten Football.**.
