Oklahoma’s new general manager didn’t parse worse when asked about Tennessee and quarterback Nico Iamaleava parting ways over a reported NIL contract renegotiation.
NORMAN — As Oklahoma kicked off its Crimson Combine on Saturday at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the biggest headline in college football was unfolding nearly 900 miles away in Knoxville, Tennessee.
There, former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava and the Tennessee Volunteers reportedly parted ways due to a dispute over his NIL contract. Iamaleava, who was gearing up for his second season as Tennessee’s starting QB, allegedly pushed to renegotiate his NIL terms as spring practices wrapped up. The situation quickly gained national attention and became a topic of conversation among Oklahoma’s coaching staff.
During an in-stadium radio segment, newly hired general manager Jim Nagy shared that the incident was being discussed in a staff group chat.
“This can’t happen here,” Nagy said in the text thread. “There were warning signs that this could happen… This is a doomsday scenario.”
Nagy, who joined Oklahoma in late February, didn’t directly address Iamaleava’s situation but emphasized what Oklahoma must do to avoid similar issues. With nearly two decades of NFL scouting experience and seven years running the Senior Bowl, Nagy said the key is building strong relationships with players and their families—both in high school recruiting and through the transfer portal—to maintain program stability in the NIL era.
“Knowing a player’s talent is one thing — anyone can watch the film and recognize ability,” Jim Nagy said. “But when we bring families and players to campus, that’s when the real work begins — getting to truly understand who they are.”
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables was also asked about the Tennessee situation — particularly the idea of players sitting out in hopes of renegotiating better NIL deals — during his post-event media availability after the Crimson Combine. Venables didn’t give a direct opinion but noted that he hasn’t faced anything like that within his own program or during his time as a head coach.
Still, the standoff between Iamaleava and Tennessee likely won’t be the last of its kind in the current NIL era, especially with revenue-sharing models on the horizon. How both sides handled the situation is expected to serve as a learning example moving forward. In this case, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel — a former Oklahoma quarterback and assistant — chose to move on, saying Saturday, “No one is bigger than the program,” including himself.
Now, Tennessee faces the challenge of replacing its starting quarterback, either from within or via the spring transfer portal, which opens Wednesday and runs through April 25. Iamaleava, in his first season as the starter in 2024, threw for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns, and five interceptions, completing 63.8% of his passes and rushing for 358 yards and three scores.
While Venables hasn’t encountered a similar situation yet, he was asked whether having a structured front office — led by Nagy and a fully staffed personnel department — could help Oklahoma navigate such issues down the line.
“You always want to stay ahead of it,” Venables said. “Being proactive is key, and player retention is the most critical piece of the puzzle. That starts with building a stable, consistent, unified locker room. That kind of foundation leads to success… The front office helps serve as your headlights. They anticipate, adapt, and manage the moving parts of the roster in real time.”
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