Former Gators Head Coach Gives Uncensored Opinion on Iamaleava Saga

The legendary Gators head coach thinks Tennessee is in big trouble at quarterback now following this saga

This Gators head coach thinks Tennessee is in trouble | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The developing saga around the departure of Nico Iamaleava from Tennessee earned the Volunteers a brutal assessment from former Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer. In his eyes, the Volunteers are in a tough place at quarterback.

“Tennessee is screwed.” Meyer said on his ‘The Triple Option’ podcast. “They have a problem.”

After Iamaleave decided to hold out of practice while trying to negotiate a more lucrative NIL deal with the Volunteers, the team announced they would part ways with the former five-star quarterback. They reached the College Football Playoff with him at the helm last season.

Though most of the nation has sided with Tennessee and their handling of the situation, Meyer sees it differently.

“Everyone is saying, Hey nice job Tennessee - making a stand.” Meyer said “Here is the reality…Tennessee plays Florida every year in October. Can you imagine that game going the other way and Josh Heupel grabs the microphone and stands on the 50-yard line in Neyland Stadium and says, it’s okay, I made a stand way back when.”

While Meyer mentions Iamaleava’s lack of elite production in 2024, including eight games throwing for under 200 yards and only one throwing for over 300, he believes that the now-empty room leaves Heupel and Tennessee in a very bad situation.

With Iamaleava now officially off the roster, the Volunteers quarterback room is made up of just redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and incoming freshman George Macintyre. The unit combines for just 48 passing yards at the collegiate level.

You lose a potential high draft pick, the backup quarterback left last year and now you have a redshirt freshman who threw nine passes… You have zero experience.” Meyer said. “The portal opens as we speak, they are going to have to go get one.”

Going further into the situation, Meyer’s co-host, former Heisman winner and former NFL running back Mark Ingram, shared his opinion on Iamaleava’s decision.

“It’s crazy…What is the ultimate goal here? To be an NFL quarterback, right? take the proper steps.” Ingram said. “I guarantee you, if you ball and take Tennessee to the playoffs, you will get 4-5 million next year.”

Despite the ample experience and success of both Meyer and Ingram at the college level, the new era of lawless anarchy that is NIL left both unable to recognize the sport they once dominated in.

“We gotta quit calling it NIL, it's not, it's pay for play. It is a salary, it's NFL, it's professional sports.” Meyer said. “It’s worse than the NFL…In the NFL, you have to honor your contract.” Ingram added on. “As a guy who has been involved for almost 40 years in this game, I can’t believe it happened,” Meyers concluded about the situation.