Tennessee left QB Nico Iamaleava off its spring roster, and head coach Josh Heupel delivered a clear message after his starter wanted to renegotiate his NIL deal.

Iamaleava, a potential first-round NFL Draft pick in 2026, wanted to renegotiate his multi-year, $10 million NIL deal with the school, according to ESPN. Tennessee became aware that Iamaleava’s camp had reached out to Oregon about a potential transfer, the report said.

Iamaleava and his representatives reportedly first asked Tennessee in January, one day before the close of college football's winter transfer portal window, for his NIL contract to increase, but the university declined to do so. The signal-caller asked to be paid $4 million per year, according to multiple reports.