Social Media World Rallies Around Tennessee During Nico Iamaleava Exit Drama

Tennessee created shock waves around the college football world on Saturday by moving on from quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

The move by Tennessee comes after reported tense contract negotiations between Iamaleava’s camp and Tennessee’s NIL collective, which resulted in the quarterback no-showing the Vols’ practice on Friday. On Saturday morning, ESPN’s Pete Thamel broke the news that Tennessee was in fact “moving on” from Iamaleava just hours before the Vols’ Orange & White spring game in Knoxville.

With the magnitude of a story like this, the eyes of the college football world have been on Knoxville this weekend. Users on X didn’t hesitate to share their thoughts on the situation, either. Most of the top responses on X were defending Tennessee and complimentary of the way that UT handled the situation in this ever-chaotic NIL landscape of college athletics.

More from RTI: Tennessee Football Moving On From Quarterback Nico Iamaleava

Here’s a look at some of the responses from social media on Saturday after the Nico Iamaleava news broke earlier in the morning:

Heupel on when he knew Nico was moving on: “Friday morning when he was a no show and we came off the practice field and there was no communication.”

— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) April 12, 2025

More factual context on the Nico situation. In regards to his NIL contract he was an absolute pain to deal with holding up his end of the requirements. Fan autograph sessions, meet and greets etc. Almost never showed up. Ghosted. Many inside happy to say good riddance #DTL #GBO

— Allan Bell (@AllanGBell) April 12, 2025

Tennessee is much better off without Nico Iamaleava.

— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) April 12, 2025

I’m all for college athletes making NIL money AND I’m all for coaches deciding to not cave to NIL demands.

Tennessee made the right decision. And whoever was advising Nico did a terrible job.

— Kayce Smith (@KayceSmith) April 12, 2025

If your going to have holdouts in college football then there should be trades too. Sorry Nico enjoy West Point maybe learn some leadership

— PFT Commenter (@PFTCommenter) April 12, 2025

Career suicide for Nico

No top program worth their salt will come close to his number, and if anything, this has made him appear to be unreasonable and a Locker room cancer

I dont compliment Tennessee often, but good on them for standing up to say enough is enough https://t.co/A9GMDPH4D4

— Nick Perkins (@NickyPerkss) April 12, 2025

College football a joke now! Yall minds well just make college into a semi pro league! Actually hold players accountable to the contracts they sign! https://t.co/9gmrCOlZgi

— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) April 11, 2025

WOW… Reports surfacing that Dan Lanning was coach who initially contacted Tennessee HC Josh Heupel and let him know Nico was sniffing around for a deal

Dan Lanning respect pic.twitter.com/qHeDpoqFrl

— UGA Football (@UGARecruiting20) April 12, 2025

Players could negotiate the length of their deal. If they want to bet on themselves and changing market, they sign 1-yr deals & see what happens. If they want more certainty, they sign longer deals. This particular case? Bad look for Nico due to timing. Hard to blame UT

— Rece Davis (@ReceDavis) April 12, 2025

Josh Heupel on Nico Iamaleava situation on Vol Network broadcast: “It’s the state of college football. At the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program. That includes me too.”

— Noah Taylor (@ByNoahTaylor) April 12, 2025

Tennessee made the right move here. Nico wasn’t worth more than he was making based on his on field performance and leadership matters. Good luck to him, but Heupel and the Vols made the right call. https://t.co/DaLtvfKGLa

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) April 12, 2025

The decision Tennessee made today may be the spark that lights the fuse to course correcting a wildly out of control market, where player values are skewed. Somebody needed to take a stand. The question you must ask yourself now is what is Nico’s actual value? Where’s his…

— Tom Luginbill (@TomLuginbill) April 12, 2025

Major respect for Tennessee for not caving into Nico. His camp definitely did this a week before the portal opens on purpose, so that Tennessee would feel pressured to pay him. Respect to them. Pathetic from Nico’s camp and his family, specifically his dad.

— Jerry Barkcia (@dingle478) April 11, 2025

Nico Iamaleava’s Tennessee career will be remembered for NIL chasing more than it will for football. https://t.co/tRuBOAiUYB

— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) April 12, 2025

Imagine how much Nico’s (and his family’s) choices this week will be picked apart in a year or two when he’s an NFL Draft prospect.

— Will Boling (@will_boling) April 12, 2025

I wonder how much the “locker room” played a role in Tennessee releasing Nico so quickly. I never thought NIL would affect the locker room much but this situation is unique. The highest paid player is holding out when he’s not good enough to hold out. I can’t imagine it sat well…

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) April 12, 2025

Really bad 60 days for guys named Nico with their respective fanbases

— RJ Choppy (@rjchoppy) April 12, 2025

The #Tennessee #vols is the one fan base you don’t wanna cross #gogators tho pic.twitter.com/LBeseJO2dX

— just josh Pray (@_joshpray) April 12, 2025

Mad respect to Josh Heupel and Tennessee for standing their ground with all this. 100% did the right thing imo

— Jack Foster (@jackfostermedia) April 12, 2025

Tennessee’s decision will have major ramifications on the future of holdouts and negotiations. It’s one of the first public moments where a team has decided, thanks but no thanks. A bluff was called.

Credit to Josh Heupel. Set the tone that no one is bigger than the team.

— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) April 12, 2025

Nico was my guy because he wore orange. The next guy will be too. Not gonna shit on him, but it shouldn’t be hard to replace the production.

— V͎O͎L͎d͎e͎m͎o͎r͎t͎ (@vo_ldemort) April 12, 2025

Toxic Internet culture effect on mental health is very real… But so is using mental health as an excuse for acting stupidly. Team Nico is not fooling anyone here… https://t.co/6JwwUtrHlZ

— Russell Smith (@Russell___Smith) April 12, 2025

I never actually thought Nico was that good pic.twitter.com/rOX4eD3Uou

— Barstool SEC (@SECBarstool) April 12, 2025

I watched Nico all year. It doesn’t surprise me it’s taking him forever to make an inevitably bad decision.

— Tenmanjonez (@tenmanjonez) April 11, 2025

A few things to unpack here…

1) Nico got a lot of bad advice
2) Good for Tennessee telling Nico’s family/reps to stick it
3) Heupel has to like what he already has/could potentially have in that QB room
4) Go Vols. In long run, Tennessee is much better off pic.twitter.com/YTT3ePYI3h

— Mark Nagi (@MarkNagi) April 12, 2025

Seemingly the entire country is taking Tennessee’s side in the Nico debacle pic.twitter.com/HH9ppf14Wi

— Dylan Holt (@DylanHolt_) April 12, 2025

Fans react to the Nico news before the Orange & White game.

“Good riddance. We ride with Merk. We ride with G-Mac.” #Vols pic.twitter.com/7lLolKU46d

— Rylee Robinson (@ryleerobinsontv) April 12, 2025

Tennessee literally went to war with the NCAA for Nico and he still wanted more.

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out

— Landon Raby (@lambo_raby10) April 12, 2025

In a world full of Nico Iamaleavas, be a Jamai Mashack.

Bleed orange. pic.twitter.com/93kF4syI0E

— 2024 National Champs!! (@sandyleefromTN) April 12, 2025

Unpopular opinion:

Nico Iamaleava didn’t get Volnation to the playoffs, Dylan Sampson and the Vol defense got them to the playoffs.

Just like Kirby Smart let Beck walk, let Nico walk.

Don’t let these players hold teams hostages. Get the guys in the program who want to play.

— LEE Ring (@HBTFD1) April 11, 2025