Cowherd: Nico Should Have Stayed, Family Offended Tennessee
By Cody McClure
Nico Iamaleava took a major gamble back in the spring when he no-showed at practice before ultimately entering the transfer portal.
His decision to do so has been the talk of the summer among college football fans.
Major media personality Colin Cowherd weighed in recently, as well.
He gave an interesting take on the Iamaleava family and said he thought the former UT quarterback should have stayed at Tennessee.
“Can I give you the most interesting player in college football? Nico Iamaleava,” Cowherd said on a podcast episode with Joel Klatt. “Fascinating. … Pageant mom has become quarterback dad. It’s the same thing. You’re squeezing so hard you’re hurting your kid. It’s off balance. It’s the parent getting too close.
“He shouldn’t have left Tennessee. They have better players. You’re going to face more NFL bodies in that schedule compared to UCLA’s this year.”
Cowherd seems to think Iamaleava still has some potential, but it could go either way.
“He is good. He is kind of what the NFL is looking for. And he moves really, really well. I watched Tennessee play a couple times last year and I thought this guy is good [but] he’s not there [yet]. … I don’t think he’s going to win a lot of games at UCLA. … But if he hits… if this kid pops, keep your eye on UCLA’s quarterback.
“Will he become the cautionary tale [of NIL]? Will he be the ‘oh, don’t do that...’ will he be the example of don’t chase? Because he didn’t chase the dollars at UCLA. He said it was family but in the end the family basically offended Tennessee and Tennessee said ‘stop sign, out.’”