As Tennessee wraps its spring practice slate, the Volunteers have decided to move on from star QB Nico Iamaleava amid NIL contract negotiations. The talks escalated to the point that Iamaleava did not attend Tennessee's practice Friday ahead of its Orange & White spring game on Saturday,

Nico also has a connection UCLA's front office from his high school days. Stacey Ford, who was hired as the program's director of player personnel in March 2024, previously worked as an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Warren High School when Iamaleava played for the program for two seasons from 2020 to '21.

Josh Heupel said he hadn't communicated with quarterback Nico Iamaleava since he skipped practice, escalating an NIL dispute into his stunning exit.