Urban Meyer on Nico Iamaleava departure: ‘There’s no chance he made that decision’

Nico Iamaleava‘s surprising divorce from Tennessee last weekend has elicited plenty of opinions from the college football pundits, most of which bemoan the circumstances that helped facilitate the breakup.

But while some have cast blame on the rising redshirt sophomore quarterback, his family/representatives, and even the NCAA at large, former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer believes the decision wasn’t Iamaleava’s alone.

During a discussion about where Iamaleava could land next on Wednesday’s episode of The Triple Option podcast, after co-hosts Rob Stone and former Alabama running back Mark Ingram suggesting Ohio State, USC or North Carolina — most of whom have already ruled themselves out of the running — Meyer poured cold water on the entire conversation.

“What if he wakes up with a salary for $1 million in a place that has no chance at the Playoffs?” Meyer said. “That’s a tough one. … That’s one where you look at everybody when you’re older and say, ‘Why’d we do that.’”

Ingram then suggested it was “the people around” Iamaleava that were ultimately behind his exit from Tennessee.

“It’s the people around you, Coach. I highly doubt Nico was being like, ‘I hate Tennessee, I don’t want to come back to Tennessee,’” Ingram said. “It’s the people in your circle putting stuff in your ear: ‘You deserve this. … They’re getting this, we should get that.’ I don’t know the logistics, I don’t know the insider scoop, but I do know it has to be people in his ear.”

Meyer agreed wholeheartedly.

“He didn’t do that. … Yeah, there’s no chance he made that decision – no chance,” Meyer said. “He’s not equipped to make that decision.”

Wherever blame ultimately lies in Iamaleava’s decision to skip Friday’s practice amid NIL negotiations is moot now after the former five-star QB officially entered the transfer portal Wednesday, the first day of the Spring portal window.

Urban Meyer on Nico Iamaleava departure: ‘Tennessee is screwed’

Former Florida and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer says there are lasting consequences for Nico Iamaleava and Tennessee. He explained on The Triple Option podcast.

“Here’s the reality: Tennessee is screwed,” Meyer said. “They got a problem. You lose a potential high draft pick. You have the backup quarterback left last year and now you have a redshirt freshman that threw nine passes as a freshman. You have zero experience, and the portal opens as we speak. They are going to have to go get one.”

It’ll be interesting to see what tack Tennessee takes going forward. The transfer portal is certainly an option, though choices there are likely to be a little limited in the spring window.

Can the Volunteers get by with what they have in the quarterback room now that Nico Iamaleava is gone? That’s a question coach Josh Heupel has to answer in a hurry.

“And here’s the thing, there’s a couple key elements here,” Meyer said. “Everybody’s saying, ‘Nice job Tennessee, making a stand.’ I’ve got a little comment on that. Tennessee plays Florida usually every year in October. Can you imagine that game’s going the other way and coach Heupel grabs the microphone and stands on the 50-yard line in Neyland Stadium and says, ‘It’s OK, I made a stand way back when.’”

— On3’s Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this report.

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