Let’s address the elephant in the room. Tennessee acquiring a player off Bama via the spring portal makes little sense. The rules dictate that an intra-SEC transfer athlete must sit for a year if they choose to move in this April window. Which, of course, is counterproductive to hitting the portal in the first place. But the premise of this article isn’t moot. One fairly big voice in CFB media has floated a very unlikely but just as intriguing idea of their own. Guess the whole Nico Iamaleava situation is strange enough for nothing to be outside the realm of possibility. So strap in and walk through this scenario.

In case you aren’t up to speed, amid a Name, Image, and Likeness-induced public standout seeking higher pay, Iamaleava began what can be called a work stoppage. The starting quarterback missed out on the team’s spring practice with “no communication” last Friday, making his stance clear. In a Nico-less post-practice talk with reporters, coach Josh Heupel’s stance was clear, too: “Obviously, we’re moving forward as a program without him…There’s no one that’s bigger than the Power T. That includes me.” However, the writing was finally on the wall later that night when the QB informed offensive coordinator Joey Halzle that he was in the process of filling out paperwork for the transfer portal, as per ESPN.  

Intially one of the first big faces of the NIL era, Iamaleava had signed a deal that reportedly raked in north of $2 million a season—the richest NIL deal at the time. But over the next two years, the market has changed. As per Sports Illustrated, the signal caller and his representatives had reportedly approached the front office one day before the winter transfer portal window closed asking for an increase, only to be declined. But with players like Miami’s Carson Beck, and Duke’s Darian Mensah clincing close to $4 million in NIL Collective after entering the transfer portal, why shouldn’t Iamaleava do the same then? As things currently stand, the team has lost hope. But, looks like they’re not going to miss much with the player gone. 

What doesn’t help matters is that while Nico Iamaleava is a good QB, he hasn’t quite warranted a raise. The 20-year-old had a pretty unspectacular first season as starter. We’re talking a 63.8% completion rate for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. But that’s secondary. The Vols’ steadfast stance and decision to let him go are aimed at upholding order among the rest of the roster. As a Tennessee fan pointed out, “We’d rather take your current NIL money and spend it on other players than pay you what you’re asking for.” But where does this leave Tenessee? Well, if you ask a college football community member, there’s already one player ready to replace…

Here’s what Scott Fisher presented to his 133K subscribers over his namesake YouTube channel: “My second guy on the Tennessee football transfer wish list is Austin Mack from Alabama…Austin Mack ended up having a crazy story. He passed for 3500 yards and 40 touchdowns during his junior season becoming one of the top players in the state at Folsom High School. At 6’6 he also had the length and the guy just looked the part of a future star…Austin Mack has the height and the arm to guide this Tennessee high-octane offense. And I think with a little bit of polishment, could be a really good quarterback in their system. Mack’s a guy whose talent, I think, is being wasted. And [he] would probably do better at Tennessee than at Bama.”

Notably, a player moving around in the SEC this time of year cannot play come fall. Austin Mack is locked in a QB battle in Tuscaloosa with Ty Simpson and Keelon Russell. Therefore, there is no guarantee that he will hit the portal. But let’s suspend disbelief and say Mack loses out and chooses to hit the portal instead of squandering a year of eligibility as a backup. Would he go to a school where he’ll have to wait out a year? It’s plausible for two reasons: Firstly, this wouldn’t cost him a year of his college eligibility. “But why waste a year?” That crosses over into reason #2. Mack’s younger than most redshirt sophomores because he reclassified from the class of ‘24 to ‘23 back in high school. So he’s technically got a year to “waste”.

If Mack indeed hits the portal, Josh Heupel’s offensive enterprise is an enticing prospect. So is the chance to be a hero for a fanbase that feels betrayed by Nico Iamaleava right now. After what went down at Alabama’s A-Day and spring game, the chances of Austin Mack transferring away have only shot up.

Whether to replace Nico Iamaleava or not, Austin Mack is probably hitting the portal

Even though Bama HC Kalen DeBoer has remained tight-lipped and is keeping his cards close to his chest, the spring game was always going to give insight into how the QB depth chart is shaking up right now. No prizes for guessing that it did. Unfortunately for him, Austin Mack didn’t quite perform up to standard. Conversely, QB1-elect Ty Simpson only solidified his case further. 

Over on X, The Bama Standard Network said, “Ty Simpson is unequivocally QB1 and not because he’s been there the longest,” in the aftermath of A-Day. Simpson’s indeed bid more time at the program, which is one of the reasons it was his shirt to lose through spring camp. If Mack doesn’t feel comfortable continuing this battle into the fall, there’s a high likelihood that he will abandon the program. Especially because true freshman Keelon Russell wound up worsening Kalen DeBoer’s conundrum more than he could. There’s conjecture that the 5-star may have leapfrogged Mack in the pecking order.

Realistically, Austin Mack doesn’t wind up in Knoxville. He’d have plenty of suitors from outside the SEC that could offer him more instant gratification. He’s a 6’6 mountain and former 4-star recruit good enough to be a starter in year 3. That said, the rationale behind replacing Nico Iamaleava in Tennessee is that you can do it if you really squint your eyes. Do what you want with this information, and let us know what you think.