KNOXVILLE — Until the final hours, Tennessee had produced a relatively tranquil few weeks of spring football.
There were the typical injury reports and tales of freshmen adjusting to a higher level of play, and of course there were stories of players advancing into leadership roles. The player most mentioned from that leadership angle was redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
“He has never been scared of the spotlight, and he is not scared to step out,” Volunteers offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said last month. “It’s just not his natural personality to be boisterous and jump out in front of a room, especially when he had guys last year who he respected in that position. There was no need to talk over a Dylan Sampson, a Cooper Mays or a Bru McCoy when they were handling something.
“That has been the biggest jump. It’s not picking his time. Now, it is his time.”
Iamaleava’s time as a Tennessee football player ended when he skipped Friday’s practice and, according to head coach Josh Heupel, did not provide any communication as to why. The 6-foot-6, 220-pounder from Long Beach, California, is now entering the NCAA transfer portal, which has a spring window that opens Wednesday.