With the transfer portal, NIL money, and pure football chaos, it sometimes seems like college football is throwing its own version of free agency, only the rules change mid-game, and no one’s really sure who’s in charge. NIL deals are driving decisions, agents are running plays off the field, and the NCAA is mostly just watching from the sidelines.
The 2025 offseason has been no different. There were moments of madness with programs scrambling to reload via the portal, betting on fresh faces to fix last season’s disasters, and more. But one story rose above, taking the entire NIL conversation into overdrive.
Analyst Discusses ‘Weird’ Offseason After Shocking NIL Drama Causes Transfer
If the world were to ask SEC analyst Mike Bratton, better known as “SEC Mike,” this offseason has been anything but normal.
As Bratton himself puts it on the latest episode of ‘That SEC Football Podcast’, “The only thing this offseason that has been of any real note for me was the whole Nico saga.” He went on to add, “Yeah, I mean, aside from that, this has been a weird offseason.”
And Mike Bratton is not wrong. Nico Iamaleava’s abrupt exit from Tennessee for UCLA was a rather surprising one for the football fandom. But what made this spring strange, in Mike’s eyes, wasn’t just one quarterback’s decision; it was how the entire sport seemed to be drifting into murky waters.
As Bratton sees it, “The coaches have neutered the spring. And I think they’ve done that on purpose… Not having spring games killed us. And limiting access to spring practice… I would like to see that back.” Meanwhile, Shane, aka “Cousin Shane” to fans, wondered if this all felt less productive than previous offseasons.
“It feels like there were a lot of hits during the portal time,” said Shane. “But… I didn’t feel like it was a crazy one—mainly because, I guess, there were no coaching searches.” Well, it does truly seem like the “Nico Saga” is the only thing that stood out. To add, the Nico Iamaleava situation, to Mike Bratton wasn’t just a story. It was the story of the spring.
The 2023 five-star QB was supposed to be Tennessee’s future. Then came the behind-the-scenes tug-of-war. Just hours before the winter portal closed, Nico’s camp, led by his father, reportedly pressed Tennessee’s NIL collective for a raise to around $4 million. Spyre Sports, the collective, didn’t bite.
This was followed by growing tensions, rumors, and missed workouts. An Oregon inquiry was made. And though Nico returned to spring practice, a cloud of ‘will-he-won’t-he’ hung over Knoxville until UCLA finally landed him.
RELATED: Nico Iamaleava Soaks Up UCLA Love After Transfer Portal Chaos at Spring Showcase
As Mike Bratton put it, “I talk to a lot of people about this stuff, and I don’t know how the cousins feel, but I am at the point where I’m just so over it… Like, what are the new rules? We need Congress’s help? We need this change, we need that change?”
That is not just venting; it is Bratton shedding light on the lack of structure around NIL and the transfer portal. But for Iamaleava’s camp, it wasn’t just about money.
Concerns over Tennessee’s offensive line, the lack of proven receivers, and broken promises on recruiting upgrades were among the reasons. While the Vols brought in some names, it wasn’t enough to ease fears over protection and production.
Still, for Shane and Mike, it all loops back to the broken rhythm of college football’s offseason.
“I like it when we’re just talking about football,” Mike Bratton said. “And I try to go down that road as often as I can, but it’s this other stuff that overtakes it.” It’s hard to argue with him.
When one quarterback’s departure becomes the pulse-check for an entire sport’s stability, it’s clear something’s out of sync.
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