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re: Nico Iamaleava Update: Cowherd says it's UCLA. Confirmed by The Athletic

Posted on 4/16/25 at 9:26 am to
Posted by RLDSC FAN
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Member since Nov 2008
55689 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 9:26 am to
quote:

But on Wednesday morning, Iamaleava entered the transfer portal after a weeklong saga in which a report suggested he was asking for more NIL money. He skipped the practice before the Vols’ spring game—which onlookers saw as a negotiating tactic. Over the weekend, the Vols parted ways with him.

Iamaleava is represented by his father, Nic Iamaleava, and by California-based coach Cordell Landers, as well as at least one lawyer. None are considered certified agents.

In a phone interview with FOS on Monday, a close family friend of Nic who has been heavily involved in his son’s NIL negotiations denied claims that Iamaleava pushed for more NIL money. “The narrative was bullshite,” says the friend, who declined to be identified by name. (Other FOS sources close to the talks dispute these claims.)

Regardless of what conversations went on behind closed doors, for Iamaleava, the damage is done. His situation is the latest example of how, in the era of unrestricted free agency, a player’s career can be damaged by bad representation, industry experts tell Front Office Sports.

Even still, Iamaleava’s camp refuses to relinquish control, blaming Tennessee and the school’s Spyre Sports NIL collective for his situation. “His representation hasn’t steered him wrong,” the family friend says. “At the end of the day, what did we do wrong to steer him and put him in a bad situation? We didn’t.”
 


LINK
Posted by Fun Bunch
New Orleans
Member since May 2008
123423 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 9:27 am to
quote:

Even still, Iamaleava’s camp refuses to relinquish control, blaming Tennessee and the school’s Spyre Sports NIL collective for his situation. “His representation hasn’t steered him wrong,” the family friend says. “At the end of the day, what did we do wrong to steer him and put him in a bad situation? We didn’t.”


Shocker
Posted by RLDSC FAN
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Member since Nov 2008
55689 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 10:56 am to
Posted by blueboxer1119
Baton Rouge
Member since May 2013
9061 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 11:29 am to
quote:

In a phone interview with FOS on Monday, a close family friend of Nic who has been heavily involved in his son’s NIL negotiations denied claims that Iamaleava pushed for more NIL money. “The narrative was bullshite,” says the friend, who declined to be identified by name. (Other FOS sources close to the talks dispute these claims.)


“So explain why he didn’t show up” should’ve been the next question.
Posted by Ed Osteen
Member since Oct 2007
58289 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 11:34 am to
quote:

Iamaleava is represented by his father, Nic Iamaleava, and by California-based coach Cordell Landers, as well as at least one lawyer. None are considered certified agents.


quote:

In a phone interview with FOS on Monday, a close family friend of Nic who has been heavily involved in his son’s NIL negotiations


So that’s at least four different people, none agents, all involved in this shite
Posted by lsuhunt555
Teakwood Village Breh
Member since Nov 2008
38791 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 11:41 am to
Everyone has there hands out.
Posted by hsfolk
Member since Sep 2009
18986 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 11:45 am to
Nico is to be a cautionary tale for future athletes in that position.
Posted by TearsofKnowshon
Athens
Member since Dec 2013
3205 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 11:55 am to
Citing Miami paying Beck $4m to transfer as fricking up the QB transfer market doesn't make sense in Nico’s context. Miami didn't really pay Beck to transfer from UGA. He was already gone immediately after the season. They paid him to forego an NFL contract for one more season.

3rd/4th round picks (where Beck was projected post elbow injury) make between $4.5-6m per a quick google search. Seems like Miami gave him close to the floor of that to entice him to come back and try to improve his draft stock. As a sophomore Nico doesn’t have a potential NFL contract as negotiating leverage. He also hasn’t delivered close to Beck’s career production (even if his ceiling is higher and Beck has a rough season last year).
Posted by Wayne Campbell
Aurora, IL
Member since Oct 2011
6838 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 12:04 pm to
quote:

enied claims that Iamaleava pushed for more NIL money. “The narrative was bullshite,”


So then why is he no longer at Tennessee? Was Tennessee trying to get him to take less money?
Posted by theCrusher
Slidell
Member since Nov 2007
1396 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 12:05 pm to
Now he'll be seen as toxic along with the family. This was a mix of Nico, his family and the agent knowing they're taking 30% of the deal.

Greed. It was all greed.
Posted by RLDSC FAN
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Member since Nov 2008
55689 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 12:25 pm to
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quote:

NEW: Urban Meyer on Nico Iamaleava's departure:

“Tennessee is screwed. They got a problem.

...Everybody’s saying, ‘Nice job Tennessee, making a stand.’ I’ve got a little comment on that. Tennessee plays Florida usually every year in October.

Can you imagine that game’s going the other way and coach Heupel grabs the microphone and stands on the 50-yard line in Neyland Stadium and says, ‘It’s OK, I made a stand way back when.'”
Posted by boosiebadazz
Member since Feb 2008
82503 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 12:27 pm to
Being on the opposite side of Urban Meyer on any moral issue is a good place to be.
Posted by TigerMan327
Elsewhere
Member since Feb 2011
5789 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 12:38 pm to
So I guess in Urbans mind teams should just cave to everything players want? What a dumb bitch.
Posted by hsfolk
Member since Sep 2009
18986 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 12:45 pm to
say TN did pay Nico what he was asking for, he gets the money in his account and what's to stop him from hitting the portal to do get more from somewhere else?
Posted by saintsfan22
baton rouge
Member since May 2006
75850 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 12:47 pm to
Sure but Urban's not wrong. The feel good about taking a stand only goes so far. They go 6-6 nobody gonna be patting him on the back.
Posted by RLDSC FAN
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Member since Nov 2008
55689 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 12:50 pm to
Agreed...we all know fans will start calling for Heupel's head if they fall apart
Posted by PaperTiger
Ruston, LA
Member since Feb 2015
25422 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 12:52 pm to
1. $4 mill price tag from Nico's camp is just stupid.
2. Surprised UCLA is even considering it. His brother, Madden, picked UCLA and flipped on ESD to Arkansas.
Posted by Funky Tide 8
Bayou Chico
Member since Feb 2009
54798 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 1:03 pm to
quote:

Sure but Urban's not wrong. The feel good about taking a stand only goes so far. They go 6-6 nobody gonna be patting him on the back.



He might have a point if Nico was really good. He's not. He's mediocre. You know what would be even worse than Urban's little scenario? If UT paid Nico more money than they already were, and they still get the shite kicked out of them by Florida.
This post was edited on 4/16/25 at 1:06 pm
Posted by Uncommon Idea
Member since Feb 2025
62 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 1:04 pm to
quote:

In a phone interview with FOS on Monday, a close family friend of Nic who has been heavily involved in his son’s NIL negotiations denied claims that Iamaleava pushed for more NIL money. “The narrative was bullshite,” says the friend, who declined to be identified by name. (Other FOS sources close to the talks dispute these claims.)


Interesting. Let's dig a little deeper.

quote:

Iamaleava is represented by his father, Nic Iamaleava, and by California-based coach Cordell Landers, as well as at least one lawyer. None are considered certified agents.


I wonder what I'll find when I look him up . . .

Here's coach Landers' X profile:
https://x.com/TheRBCoach

Then we find this tweet:
@PatMcAfeeShow the real story.

Which leads to this tweet:
Loading Twitter/X Embed...
If tweet fails to load, click here.


Which is justification about why Nico/his advisors thought he DESERVED more money due to other players getting bigger deals and that HE led Tennessee to the playoffs (where they got smacked down by Ohio State and he played like crap).

Posted by Wabbit7
Member since Aug 2018
1743 posts
Posted on 4/16/25 at 1:13 pm to
Urban Meyer is a damn idiot with that take.
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