ESPN’s Paul Finebaum expressed his disappointment in Nico Iamaleava’s departure from the Tennessee Volunteers after He skipped practice and the recent NIL contract negotiations.
Nico Iamaleave Behind First NIL Holdout
“I agree with this,” SEC football analyst Paul Finebaum said Saturday on SportsCenter. “It is the right call, and it’s the right call because they’ve already been held hostage to a degree by Nico and his people. They went to bat for him about a year ago.”
Finebaum also added, “The bigger story here is beyond Nico. This is an inflection point in the history of college football.”
This happens all the time in the NFL but not in college football. NFL teams are still bound to a player when he holds out for more money.
Adam Zagoria’s article in NJ.com reported on Finebaum’s comments and added some key points to the Iamaleave situation, saying that when a college player holds out, “the schools can just cut ties.”
Finebaum umps more on Iamaleava and the situation.
Last season, Iamaleava threw for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns, and five interceptions, completing 63.8% of his passes. The Vols were 10-3 with a 6-2 SEC record. Tennessee also had its first-ever CFP appearance.
Finebaum added that he talked to SEC sources who said that Iamaleava ranks “Somewhere between sixth and eighth.” He also said Iamaleava was underwhelming in certain matchups.
KEEP READING: Dan Lanning’s Influence on Nico Iamaleava’s Exit Puts Him Higher on the Respect List
Iamaleava could play for other teams when he transfers, including those on the West Coast, but there will be a buyer-beware situation with him as his father and agent are involved in recent events.
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