LSU head coach Brian Kelly weighs in on the saga of former Tennessee -quarterback Nico Iamaleeava.
On Saturday, Tennessee announced Josh Heupel that Iamaleeava would not return next season.
Heupel said Iamaleeava’s decision to skip practice under his name, image and equality (NIL) Contract negotiations with Tennessee led to the split.
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LSU head coach Brian Kelly looks from the sidelines in the second half against Alabama in Baton Rouge 9 November 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
“This program has been around for a long time,” Heupel said. “There are a lot of good coaches, a lot of good players who came before it made the cornerstone’s pieces, the legacy, the tradition, there is Tennessee -Football. It’s going to be for a long time after I’m gone and after they’re gone.”
Kelly predicted that Iamaleeava’s situation will become more common when zero develops.
Tennessee Volunte’s main coach Josh Heupel looks at a game in the first half at Ohio Stadium 21 December 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (IMagn)
“I think there are changes that come to zero. I think this is the first version of correction,” Kelly said on Saturday.
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“I think we will see a lot of this. This was a new world. I think we will navigate the best we can but I think there will be other situations that are coming. I think we will have to do the best we can. I think there (s) will be better information that allows people to look at comps for positions and say, ‘it makes sense’ and ‘it doesn’t make sense.’
Nil has had a historical effect on college sports, and this month several high-profile programs chose not to hold traditional spring games. Some of the school’s decisions dealt with concerns that it would open the door for more players to enter the transfer portal or be lured by another program’s zero packages.
Tennessee Volunteers Quarterback Nico Iamaleeava goes off the field after a win against Vanderbilt Commodores at Firstbank Stadium 30 November 2024. (Steve Roberts/IMAGN -Pictures)
LSU was among the schools that played a spring game this year.
Iamaleeava earned $ 2.4 million on a zero contact. But when he signed it, it was reported to be worth estimating $ 8 million. Iamaleeava received the original payment when he was still enrolled in high school. ESPN reported that the total value of the agreement could have reached almost $ 10 million.
