Tennessee’s quarterback situation has come full circle, and that’s what makes the Nico Iamaleava conversation hard to shake.
A year ago, the Vols were dealing with the shock of Iamaleava leaving Tennessee and Josh Heupel for UCLA. Joey Aguilar stepped in and quickly won over the fanbase, but he’s gone now too, and that leaves some uncertainty at the position heading toward the 2026 season.
That uncertainty is part of why J.D. PicKell brought up Iamaleava while laying out his 8-4 prediction for Tennessee. PicKell argued that if Iamaleava were still in Knoxville, he’d be entering Year 3 as the starter and the Vols would be in position to chase another Playoff berth.
"I want to make sure there's no Josh Heupel slander for this upcoming season because I want to remind everyone what the context of this year was," PicKell said. "This year was supposed to be Nico Iamaleava's third year as the starter at Tennessee.
His first year, ya'll made the Playoff. This was supposed to be the here we go, it's all been built around him, we got some key pieces back, the o-line's here, the running backs are here, we got our quarterback now who we paid a pretty penny for to get to Knoxville in the first place.
It was supposed to be the highest of highs for Nico, but he's not there because Josh Heupel stood on business when they asked for more money post-spring practice, allegedly, and said no one is bigger than the Power T; there's the door, Nico and Co."
There’s also the reality that Iamaleava’s exit wasn’t only about money. He clearly wasn’t happy in Knoxville and wanted to be closer to home in Southern California. As a Long Beach Poly, SoCal guy, the move to UCLA made sense for him.
Tennessee fans had their reasons to enjoy UCLA’s struggles last season, since the Bruins were one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. But Heupel was focused on getting Aguilar ready, and Aguilar’s production last year wasn’t the reason Tennessee disappointed in 2025.
Iamaleava’s 2024 season did help Tennessee reach the CFP, but that run was driven by a strong defense and the historic season from running back Dylan Sampson. Iamaleava finished with 2,616 passing yards and 19 touchdowns that year, but his UCLA stint last fall was rough, with 1,928 yards, 13 scores and seven interceptions.
That’s why it’s a stretch to assume Tennessee would automatically be sitting among the SEC’s best in 2026 just because Iamaleava had a strong freshman season. The dissatisfaction that was building around him mattered, and it could have affected his play.
Now the focus shifts to Faizon Brandon, with signs pointing to him as the starter over George MacIntyre. That gives Tennessee another 5-star quarterback to build around, and he won’t be alone. Five-star receiver Tristen Keys is on campus, and running back David Gabriel Georges is coming in next season, giving the Vols a young core with real upside.
It’s fair to wonder whether Tennessee could have brought in that much top-end talent if Iamaleava and his NIL deal had stayed in Knoxville. Maybe not.
So even if an 8-4 season feels underwhelming for a sixth-year Heupel team, the bigger picture is hard to ignore. Tennessee looks like a program being shaped for long-term success, and that matters more than dwelling on what might have happened if Iamaleava had never left.
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