One team's loss is usually another's gain.
Pete Nakos of On3 reported Thursday that Tennessee and star quarterback Nico Iamaleava are in active contract negotiations. That opens the door for Iamaleava possibly entering the transfer portal when it opens again for the spring on Wednesday.
This would not only be a major blow for Josh Heupel's Volunteers in the middle of the offseason, but also blow up the landscape of the SEC for the upcoming college football season.
NEW: Tennessee & Nico Iamaleava are in active contract negotiations ahead of the 2025 season, @PeteNakos_ reports.
— On3 (@On3sports) April 10, 2025
It is unclear if the negotiations will impact whether he enters the spring transfer portal.
Intel: https://t.co/hKystSE5ZY pic.twitter.com/8nl3LkbYa6
Star quarterback Nico Iamaleava in danger of transferring from Tennessee
Iamaleava was one of the best freshmen in the country last season. He threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns compared to five interceptions. He's also dangerous on the ground, rushing for 358 yards and three scores.
Against Oklahoma in Norman last season, Iamaleava threw for 194 yards and a TD to beat the Sooners 25-15 in the first road start of his career at a sold-out Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in OU's first-ever SEC game.
Even with a freshman quarterback through a daunting SEC schedule, Tennessee still went 10-3 and made the College Football Playoff as the No. 6 team in the country. The Volunteers lost to eventual champions Ohio State Buckeyes in the first round.
With Iamaleava returning, Tennessee could again make some noise in the SEC and be a tough obstacle on the Sooners' schedule. However, after already losing star running back Dylan Sampson to the NFL, also having to replace Iamaleava at quarterback could be too much for the Volunteers to recover from.
The Sooners are scheduled to travel to Knoxville, Tennessee, on Nov. 1. If Iamaleava does transfer, then LSU would be the only SEC team on OU's schedule without a new quarterback from last year. That includes former OU quarterback Jackson Arnold at Auburn for the Sooners' SEC opener.
Meanwhile, the Sooners also have a new quarterback, but upgraded with Washington State transfer John Mateer, who was the No. 1 player in the transfer portal when he committed to OU and has extremely high expectations for 2025.
The Sooners wouldn't want the easy way out, but anything to alleviate that SEC gauntlet, especially after going 6-7 last season, will definitely be welcomed.