Nico Iamaleava shocked the faculty soccer world up to now few days. After spending the previous two seasons with the Tennessee Volunteers, the quarterback demanded a brand new NIL deal from this system. In response to his present deal, he was incomes $2.4 million and was set to get round $10 million had he performed for the Vols for 4 seasons.
Nevertheless, Iamaleava demanded $4 million in a single season. This led to the Vols parting methods with the quarterback. He subsequently entered the switch portal on Wednesday. One of many groups linked with Iamaleava is the UCLA Bruins. Nevertheless, in line with experiences, the Bruins aren’t thinking about paying him anyplace close to his desired quantity.
Reporter Sheena Fast shared an replace concerning the Iamaleava state of affairs on social media. In response to her, the Bruins provided the quarterback an NIL deal that paid him underneath $2 million. This was lower than what he was making throughout his stint with the Vols.
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Followers quickly shared their reactions to the replace, with some trolling the quarterback about how he must pay excessive California taxes whereas incomes considerably much less by his NIL deal.
“F***ed his cash up then Cali taxes,” one fan commented.
“What’s Californias tax in comparison with tennessee?” one other fan stated.
“Even much less with CA taxes,” a fan stated.
“A pair million in TN goes quite a bit farther than <$2mm in LA,” one fan wrote.
“Bro bought the bag,” a fan commented.
“So he moved from a state with no revenue tax to a state with the very best revenue tax whereas getting paid much less?” one other fan wrote.
If Iamaleava decides to affix the Bruins on a lesser-paying contract, then Appalachian State switch Joey Aguilar would possibly discover himself departing from this system with out even beginning the sport. Nevertheless, a supply from the varsity instructed ESPN that they’re “content material” with sitting out and ready patiently to see how this example performs out within the coming days.
City Meyer addresses Tennessee’s state of affairs after Nico Iamaleava’s departure
Josh Heupel and his workforce might be wanting to herald a beginning quarterback by the switch portal. At the moment, they’ve Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre on the depth chart for the upcoming season.
On the most recent episode of On3’s “Triple Possibility” podcast, three-time nationwide champion City Meyer shared his perspective on the Vols’ state of affairs after Nico Iamaleava’s departure. In response to him, Heupel and his workforce will undergo immensely after dropping a top-rated quarterback like Iamaleava.
“This is the truth: Tennessee is scr*wed,” Meyer stated. “They acquired an issue. You lose a possible excessive draft decide. You have got the backup quarterback left from final yr, and now you have got a redshirt freshman who threw 9 passes as a freshman. You have got zero expertise, and the portal opens as we communicate. They will need to go get one.”
Throughout his two-season stint with the Vols, Nico Iamaleava recorded a complete of two,930 yards and 21 passing TDs.
Edited by Veer Badani