Tulane Listed as Potential Finalist to Land Former Tennessee QB Iamaleava

The Tulane Green Wave football team may be a surprising player in the race to land a quarterback who caused some of the biggest offseason waves in college football.

Former Tennessee Volunteers star quarterback Nico Iamaleava is at the epicenter of NIL blowing up the state of college sports, as the former five-star recruit was dismissed from the program by head coach Josh Heupel after holding out of practice due to contract negotiations.

Iamaleava secured an NIL deal that would’ve made him between $2.2 and $2.5 million this season but reportedly wanted that number closer to $4 million—one the Volunteers weren’t willing to pay.

In light of that number, Tulane joining the sweepstakes to land Iamaleava is a bit unexpected but shows head coach Jon Sumrall’s commitment to positioning his team for success.

Pete Nakos of On3 Sports (subscription required) reports that there are three programs linked to the now-free agent: the UCLA Bruins, North Carolina Tar Heels, and Tulane Green Wave.

UCLA has been tied to the Long Beach native since his departure, and the Tar Heels and Bill Belichick are searching for a signal caller.

The third program that is open to his addition is the Green Wave, as they are looking for their next starting quarterback, a situation that was muddled by the suspension of TJ Finley, who Sumrall claimed was leading the race a few weeks back.

“Sumrall is open to adding Iamaleava and has started to kick the tires on the Tennessee transfer quarterback,” Nakos writes.

Sumrall is not willing to be a quiet Group of Five program waiting in the wings; he’s been deliberate and proactive in solidifying his quarterback room.

Tulane was previously rumored to be in contact with another elite quarterback in the portal, Jaden Rashada, over the weekend.

In a bizarre twist, Rashada may now be in play to succeed Iamaleava at Tennessee.

After losing Darian Mensah to a deal that rivals what Iamaleava is reportedly asking for, Sumrall making a play for the former Volunteer is a bit unforeseen.

However, there’s a strong chance Iamaleava won’t receive close to his asking price after an unfortunate week that led to his former head coach cutting ties ahead of the spring game.

Sumrall has been an active promoter of players being paid, and his approach to the name, image, and likeness era may be crucial in these pushes for star power.

Tulane has not yet finished spring practice, and competitors Kadin Semonza and Donovan Leary have two practices and a spring game to persuade Sumrall to roll the tires back in.

However, it’s a strong sign that Sumrall is looking to find a third battler in the portal and repeat the three-man race that resulted in Mensah this fall.

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