Urban Meyer doubles down on his take that Tennessee is 'screwed' without Nico Iamaleava

Urban Meyer is doubling down on his take that Tennessee is “screwed” after losing quarterback Nico Iamaleava amid an NIL fiasco this offseason. The former Ohio State and Florida coach again addressed the topic in a recent episode of The Triple Option podcast.

“They’re screwed and I’m gonna say it again,” he said. “You let a potential first-rounder — not let — but a potential first-rounder walks out on you, especially the starting quarterback of a team that was in the playoffs. A team, at times, that was really, really good and he was a young quarterback. You know what happens to young quarterbacks? They get better.”

Iamaleava left Tennessee after negotiations for a new NIL deal fell through. The QB reportedly was seeking a deal of $4 million or more and sat out of practice and team meetings amid negotiations with the team.

Last season, Iamaleava threw for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns, five interceptions, a 63.8% completion percentage. He also had 358 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Tennessee made the College Football Playoff but lost in the first round against Ohio State.

At the time of his transfer, Nico Iamaleava has an NIL valuation of $2.1 million according to On3. However, that is down from $3.1 million previously.

He now joins a UCLA team that is coming off of 5-7 finish in its inaugural season under coach Deshaun Foster. But while that means prospects for the Bruins are looking up, is also means the Vols are looking a lot different than previously predicted.

Tennessee signed Joey Aguilar, who was previously at UCLA after two seasons at Appalachian State. That certainly seems to be a significant downgrade from what Iamaleava offers, and Meyer expressed that in his initial take.

“Here’s the reality: Tennessee is screwed,” Meyer said. “They got a problem. You lose a potential high draft pick. You have the backup quarterback left last year and now you have a redshirt freshman that threw nine passes as a freshman. You have zero experience, and the portal opens as we speak. They are going to have to go get one.”

Of course, Tennessee did in fact “go get one” with Aguilar. Aguilar set single-season school records in passing yards (3,757), passing touchdowns (33) and total offense (4,002) at Appalachian State in 2023. He was named the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and then followed that up with by making honorable mention all-conference in 2024.

Still, following in Iamaleava’s footsteps and what he accomplished at Tennessee this past season will be difficult. We’ll have to wait and see whether the Vols’ decision comes back to bite them as Meyer predicted.