It has been an interesting last few days for the Tennessee Volunteers football program, as it is being reported by ESPN that their starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava will be entering the transfer portal after holding out for more money.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has been adamant that they won’t pursue a transfer, and John Brice of FootballScoop.com is reporting that that still will be the case. The Irish have yet to name a starter, but it seems like they are content with any of the three potential starters and their potential.
Iamaleava led the Vols to a spot in the College Football Playoff in his first year as a starter, completing 63.8% of his passes for 2,616 yards with 19 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. As a California native, there also was chatter that he could end up at USC, but Brice is also reporting that the Trojan’s are interested either.
It’s a very interesting situation, especially considering the success that Tennessee had, but it’s obvious that Iamaleava wanted to be compensated more than what he was. The transfer portal has significantly changed how college football works, and this is another surprising move since the rules have been modified.
As usual, @mzenitz is all over. IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE: Am told EMPHATICALLY that neither Notre Dame nor USC has any interest whatsoever in Nico. https://t.co/QFAksod4A4
— John Brice (@JohnDBrice1) April 12, 2025
This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame will not pursue Tennessee transfer QB Nico Iamaleava
