Tennessee Football’s now former quarterback Nico Iamaleava didn’t take part in Saturday’s Orange and White and has departed from the program,  opening up the game to showcase redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre in the role of quarterback.  Saturday’s game ended in a tie, 14 – 14 with the two quarterbacks completing passes and the team happy to have people there who want to be a Tennessee Vol.

UT and Iamaleava parted ways after a dispute over NIL pay.  The transfer portal opens on April 16 and Nico is expected to enter it following what appeared to be a holdout.  Coach Josh Heupel says he knew when Nico missed practice Friday and was a no show for Orange and White Game that Nico was leaving.

Heupel telling reporters that he wants to thank him for everything he’s done since he’s gotten here, as a recruit and who he was as a player and how he competed inside the building but obviously, we’re moving forward as a program without him. He told players ahead of Saturday’s game that there’s no one that’s bigger than the Power T. That includes me.

Tennessee opens the 2025 season in the Aflac Kickoff Game against Syracuse on Aug. 30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.