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The first high-profile holdout of the NIL era in college football didn't last very long. After Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava ditched practice just before the Volunteers' spring game due to ongoing contract negotiations, Josh Heupel and company essentially told him to kick rocks.
Now that Tennessee has severed ties with Iamaleava and is moving in a different direction, he is headed for the transfer portal. Despite a rocky 2024 season, his first as a starter full-time, the former five-star recruit is still going to be one of the most sought-after players in the spring portal cycle.
Whichever team commits to Iamaleava will have to get the best out of him after a 2024 season where he threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns, although his best games came against inferior competition while he struggled with the best defenses on the Tennessee schedule.
Regardless, it will be very hard for any team to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff without a great quarterback, and Iamaleava has the tools to be that. Here are the four best destinations for him when the transfer portal officially opens on Wednesday.
USC
Lincoln Riley loves a big-armed quarterback who can stand and deliver in the pocket, and that is exactly what Nico Iamaleava could be for the Trojans should he choose to go back to the west coast and his home state of California. USC had offered Iamaleava coming out of high school, and now it has its second chance to get him.
Riley and company are losing Miller Moss from last season, but they do bring back former UNLV starter Jayden Maiava. Maiava is the clear starter for the Trojans this spring and showed some very good flashes last season, but a solid starter shouldn't deter Riley from wanting to bring in a great talent like Iamaleava.
From the other side, heading out to Los Angeles makes plenty of sense for the Tennessee transfer as well. Riley has sent countless quarterbacks to the NFL and clearly runs a system that is conducive to developing quarterbacks as draft prospects. Kyler Murray, Caleb Williams, Baker Mayfield and Jalen Hurts all finished their college careers under Riley, and Iamaleava could be the next big-time talent that is molded under the play-calling mastermind's eye.
North Carolina
Wouldn't it be something if Bill Belichick walked into the college game, took a swing at the top transfer available and landed it? If the NFL head coaching legend wants to accelerate the rebuild in Chapel Hill, this is the way to do it.
After all, Belichick knows a thing to two about dealing with players holding out for more money, so that won't be a problem in his neck of the woods.
North Carolina doesn't have a full stock of weapons ready to go at the moment, but there could be more on the way this spring. Is there a better recruiting pitch than bringing in a quarterback like Nico Iamaleava? In a weak ACC, the former Tennessee standout would immediately make the Tar Heels relevant next season.
Iamaleava would also surely relish the opportunity to play under Belichick and a coaching staff that has plenty of NFL experience. He will get a feel for what life in the NFL is like and what the expectations are for a face of the franchise right away, which could be valuable experience for him moving forward. From both sides, this could be a perfect marriage.
Notre Dame
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Notre Dame broke through last season, making a historic run to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game before losing to Ohio State. However, Marcus Freeman and the Irish still finished with a 14-2 record that included wins over Indiana, Georgia and Penn State in the postseason.
Notre Dame did all of that with a transfer quarterback in Riley Leonard, and now it could be in the market for another one. Freeman and company weren't active on the quarterback market during the winter, but a talent like Nico Iamaleava could be what gets them into the bidding.
This spring, Steve Angeli and CJ Carr have been battling it out to see who will be the team's starting quarterback heading into the fall. Both are intriguing players, but neither possesses the physical tools and talent that Iamaleava does.
Notre Dame should have an elite defense once again next season, and its offense will be explosive with the return of skill players like Jeremiyah Love, Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse. Iamaleava's big arm could be just enough to unlock the best version of that unit.
Oregon
The Ducks were heavily involved in Nico Iamaleava's recruitment coming out of high school, and now Dan Lanning and company could be looking for their latest big transfer portal win.
Oregon picked up a pair of quarterbacks in the portal last season, and Dillon Gabriel ended up having a stellar year that landed him in New York as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. UCLA transfer Dante Moore sat behind Gabriel after a rocky freshman year with the Bruins in 2023, and he seems to be the projected starter.
Oregon may be set with Moore and may not even entertain Iamaleava as a result. However, the Ducks have the resources to start looking for greener grass if they want to, and Iamaleava could be the type of target that could force some reflection.
Offensive coordinator Will Stein has gotten the best out of both Gabriel and Bo Nix during his time in Eugene, so the sky is the limit for Iamaleava if he ends up in the Pacific Northwest. Going to Oregon would also give him the chance to compete for a National Championship with one of the best rosters in the country and an elite supporting cast around him.
