Last season, Tennessee achieved its best regular-season record in years and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in team history. The Volunteers are looking to build upon last season’s successes. However, there are several obstacles to overcome.
One of Tennessee’s biggest obstacles is replacing departed talents. The Vols lost some key players, including defensive end James Pearce and running back Dylan Sampson. The biggest exit was quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who transferred to UCLA this spring following a dispute with the team over NIL compensation.
Podcaster and Former QB Caleb Pressley Gives Blunt Take on NIL Drama
Nico Iamaleava’s exit sparked many debates about the impact of NIL on college sports, and former quarterback Caleb Pressley has shared his take on the issue.
“Tennessee is who I grew up on, and they didn’t pay Nico, or that’s a story, they didn’t pay their quarterback.” He said.
“He wanted like $4 million is the story, and they’re giving him two million. And so they said, ‘Get out of here.’ I think it’s crazy. I think pay him. Everyone was on Tennessee’s side, right? Everyone thought Nico’s an idiot, and maybe that’s true, but to me, I would have liked to see Tennessee just pay up,” Pressley explained.
“As a freshman… he beat Clemson in the first time he ever played in the Orange Bowl… he took Tennessee to the playoffs. In my opinion, He’s going to be the overall number one pick, and they’re talking about two million bucks.”
The Vols will begin their 2025 season in Atlanta when they face the Syracuse Orange. This will be the fourth overall meeting between these two sides in a series that Tennessee edges 3-0. It will be the teams’ first matchup since 2001.
Tennessee will enter next season with Joey Aguilar, the former App State transfer that Iamaleava beat out at UCLA as the signal-caller. Aguilar isn’t quite on the same level as Iamaleava, and it remains to be seen if Tennessee made the right decision by not giving the now-UCLA quarterback his demands.
Meanwhile, across the country, new Bruins quarterback Iamaleava will lead UCLA through a schedule that includes Utah, Penn State, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio State, Washington, and USC.
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