Former NFL star and current sports personality Shannon Sharpe shared his thoughts on former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s sudden departure from the program due to NIL complications. In a bold claim, Sharpe was clear on who to blame.
Shannon Sharpe Says Nico Iamaleava Was Set Up to Fail by His NIL Team
Iamaleava shocked the college football world last week when reports surfaced that he was entering the transfer portal after failing to reach a name, image and likeness agreement with Tennessee. It was an unusual and highly publicized situation that has become front-page news because of its unprecedented nature.
On Wednesday, his intentions to transfer to UCLA surprised many. Reports indicated his NIL compensation at UCLA would be less than what he had been set to receive at Tennessee before he reportedly held out for more money.
The fallout was glaring for a quarterback who had shown promise in his redshirt freshman season in Knoxville. The general consensus has not been that he lacks talent, but rather that he was seeking a level of NIL compensation he had not yet earned and handled the situation poorly.
During an episode of his podcast Nightcap, Sharpe weighed in. The comments came before Iamaleava officially committed to UCLA.
“I sure hope he’s got a $4 million offer lined up,” Sharpe said. “Because whoever advised him — his dad, agent, his cousin, whatever — they did him a disservice.”
Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, who joined Sharpe on the podcast, agreed.
“Yeah, they did.”
This wasn’t just idle commentary from two podcast hosts. Sharpe and Johnson are former professional football players with years of experience negotiating contracts. They’ve seen what smart representation looks like, and what it doesn’t.
KEEP READING: Top 25 Players in the Portal: Where Does Nico Iamaleava Rank?
With that background, both recognized what they believed to be a misstep by Iamaleava and his camp — even before the quarterback officially landed with the Bruins.
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