After taking Tennessee to the 2024 College Football Playoffs, NIL negotiations could already be threatening Nico Iamaleava's time in Knoxville. Ahead of his third year with Tennessee, reports suggest the two sides are still in contract negotiations as the spring college football transfer portal nears.

As the negotiations trudge along, Iamaleava could potentially enter the transfer portal if he does not get what he desires, On3 Sports' Pete Nakos reported. The college football transfer portal re-opens on April 16, potentially setting a deadline for Tennessee to get the job done. Specifics of Iamaleava's contract were not stated, only suggesting the quarterback may be looking to re-negotiate his original terms.

If Iamaleava hits the portal, it would be a huge loss for the Volunteers, who do not have another starting-caliber quarterback on their roster. Redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre are currently the team's only other options. Merklinger and MacIntyre both landed in Tennessee as consensus four-star recruits.

In his first full season of college football, Iamaleava led Tennessee to an up-and-down season, losing to Ohio State in the first round of the playoffs to end with a 10-3 record. While he was brilliant in moments, Iamaleava was often criticized for his failure to show up in big games.

While Iamaleava did not steal the show right away, his encouraging redshirt freshman campaign led Tennessee to its most successful season to its first College Football Playoff appearance. A former five-star recruit, Iamaleava was the most-hyped quarterback to join the team since Peyton Manning.

Tennessee's incoming college football transfer portal class

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Losing Nico Iamaleava would change Tennessee's entire landscape, but the team is otherwise enjoying a fairly successful offseason. Head coach Josh Heupel managed to obtain an encouraging class of incoming transfers led by offensive lineman Sam Pendleton and running back Star Thomas.

While the Volunteers also lost their fair share of outgoing transfers, Heupel is also bringing in a stellar class of incoming freshman. Led by five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., Tennessee has the No. 11-ranked recruiting class in the country, according to 247 Sports. Sanders is joined by three other top-100 prospects, giving fans a lot to be excited for in the fall.

At this point in the offseason, retaining Iamaleava has to be a top priority. After years of miserable results, Tennessee is back to national prominence, in large part due to the work Heupel and Iamaleava have done together.