'23 CA QB Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee Verbal)

[Irish#1]

I love the Cover 3 podcast for national coverage, but man their takes on this were tough to listen to.

I was disappointed because not a single one of them brought up the fact this against the rules of NIL by signing a current high school junior contingent upon going to a certain school. They even admitted that this is morphing into professional sports and a minor league baseball setup with kids able to “transfer up” from lower conferences at will. Hell they even brought up another school “buying” out the deal so he can transfer. They all seemed completely fine with all of this, which I was shocked by.

I’m all for kids making money within the original intent of NIL, but this is not it.

Hadn't thought about that, but an excellent point.

What happened at Toledo?

Toledo? I thought he meant Texas.

 

[Irish du Nord]

Hadn't thought about that, but an excellent point.

Toledo? I thought he meant Texas.

Texas has a football team?

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Nico is forgoing his senior year of HS.
Allegedly it's because of his contract with the UT collective...
Unreal...

nico iamaleava

nico iamaleava

247sports.com

 

[ab2cmiller]

So the thought is that in order to protect our naming rights, we are forcing you not to play because you might get injured?

 

[Rockin’Irish]

Nico is forgoing his senior year of HS.
Allegedly it's because of his contract with the UT collective...
Unreal...

nico iamaleava

nico iamaleava

247sports.com

This sets a bad precedent……top players starting to sit out their final season in HS is an extension of players sitting out games in college if their team is not playing for a natty. I certainly understand that players need to protect their future (and collectives want to protect their investment) but the messaging that ”team” comes first is out the door. It also seems that this will create animosity among teammates. I guess time will tell.

 

[Irishnuke]

And this contract is somehow legal? We’re definitely in some uncharted waters now, boys. Buckle up.

 

[PutuporShutup]

Nico is forgoing his senior year of HS.
Allegedly it's because of his contract with the UT collective...
Unreal...

nico iamaleava

nico iamaleava

247sports.com

Can't make appearances in Knoxville while living in CA... NCAA is just so awful not policing this

 

[stlnd01]

And this contract is somehow legal? We’re definitely in some uncharted waters now, boys. Buckle up.

If this becomes a thing I wonder if you'll start to see state legislatures re-writing their NIL laws again to encourage kids to keep playing in high school.

But also this is bad for his development. Kid would've already missed, what, his Sophomore year because of COVID rules in California? How much actual football has he even played? This will prepare him real well to face Bama and Georgia in a couple years.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

If this becomes a thing I wonder if you'll start to see state legislatures re-writing their NIL laws again to encourage kids to keep playing in high school.

But also this is bad for his development. Kid would've already missed, what, his Sophomore year because of COVID rules in California? How much actual football has he even played? This will prepare him real well to face Bama and Georgia in a couple years.

Rivals/on3/247 should drop Nico just for kicks
It's honestly not good for their business having premier athletes sitting out
Teach them a lesson.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Is there really a difference between sitting out his high school's season vs. transferring to IMG where you're ineligible to compete in the HS leagues and so you just play exhibition games?

EDIT: Or is my understanding of IMG out of date?

 

[ab2cmiller]

Is there really a difference between sitting out his high school's season vs. transferring to IMG where you're ineligible to compete in the HS leagues and so you just play exhibition games?

EDIT: Or is my understanding of IMG out of date?

Even if they were considered "exhibition" games. They are still highly competitive reps which are important to development.

 

[Henges24]

Sign a contract? Sign your life over.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Even if they were considered "exhibition" games. They are still highly competitive reps which are important to development.

I agree there.

I was speaking to the idea of this being a bad precedent for reasons other than Nico's development as a player.

 

[stlnd01]

Is there really a difference between sitting out his high school's season vs. transferring to IMG where you're ineligible to compete in the HS leagues and so you just play exhibition games?

EDIT: Or is my understanding of IMG out of date?

Pretty sure IMG teams play other elite high school teams all the time though. And each other? Even if it's not for like, the state title, it's real football. Not 7v7 and camp stuff.

 

[PutuporShutup]

Sign a contract? Sign your life over.

All hearsay, but I believe he signed with a lot of appearance fees in knoxville area. I didn't know they would be this upcoming year but if he moves there soon that will be telling.

 

[Ophiocordyceps]

Nico is forgoing his senior year of HS.
Allegedly it's because of his contract with the UT collective...
Unreal...

nico iamaleava

nico iamaleava

247sports.com

It’s like a COVID year without the COVID.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

It’s like a COVID year without the COVID.

He tested positive for NLI-22.

 

[T-Boone]

Pretty sure IMG teams play other elite high school teams all the time though. And each other? Even if it's not for like, the state title, it's real football. Not 7v7 and camp stuff.

So they don’t belong to a conference and do up there own schedule? Good idea.

 

[stlnd01]

So they don’t belong to a conference and do up there own schedule? Good idea.

Looks like they have several teams. One seems to play in a Florida private school conference (SSIA) that includes at least a few other very good programs (Berkeley Prep!). Another travels a lot, including last year to such garden spots as East St. Louis and Springfield, Mass. What a weird way to spend high school.

Sports Academy

Sports Academy - IMG Academy offers athletes the opportunity to improve their sport and educational performance on our 600 acre, world-class campus.

www.imgacademy.com

 

[Rack Em]

He tested positive for NLI-22.

The cure for that is a $8 million dollar vaccine

 

[Irish#1]

If he forgoes his senior year, then the Cali HS governing body shouldn't be able to stop him from making those appearances.

As of today, my 5 year old grandson will be forgoing his K-12 years so he can make NIL appearances. PM me and we'll discuss terms of the contract.

 

[Dale]

Looks like they have several teams. One seems to play in a Florida private school conference (SSIA) that includes at least a few other very good programs (Berkeley Prep!). Another travels a lot, including last year to such garden spots as East St. Louis and Springfield, Mass. What a weird way to spend high school.

Sports Academy

Sports Academy - IMG Academy offers athletes the opportunity to improve their sport and educational performance on our 600 acre, world-class campus.

www.imgacademy.com

Play DeSmet this year. Carnell Tate vs Christian Gray

 

[Whiskeyjack]

The cure for that is a $8 million dollar vaccine

Injected straight into his bank account.

But as Cacky keeps insisting... show me the receipts. A lot of these kids are going to compromise their athletic development for a contract with a big number on it, only to find out that they don't like the small print when things go sideways later.

 

[irishff1014]

The NIL is really going to ruin the sport.

 

[tussin]

The NIL is really going to ruin the sport.

I was initially in this camp but it has already added more parity to the recruiting game so I am generally pro-NIL. They just need to reign in the extremes a bit and we will be in a good place.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Tennessee is fully embracing their role as pay-to-play villains in exchange for 8-4 seasons. And here I thought it wasn’t possible to look worse than any program run by Jimbo Fisher.

Just thought about Jimbo coaching at UT. Man, that could a lot of fun.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Things could get real interesting when some of these Big NIL players stumble. Coach benches the Big NIL player because he views it as best for the team. Meanwhile, the big money boosters who are on the hook for 8 million dollars, want a return on their investment, pressure the coach to keep their guy in the starting lineup.

 

[jprue24]

The NIL is really going to ruin the sport.

This is an indictment on the sport, not NIL.

Things could get real interesting when some of these Big NIL players stumble. Coach benches the Big NIL player because he views it as best for the team. Meanwhile, the big money boosters who are on the hook for 8 million dollars, want a return on their investment, pressure the coach to keep their guy in the starting lineup.

Is that really that much different from the pressure boosters already put on coaches and ADs?

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

The NIL is really going to ruin the sport.

Lincoln Riley is going to make $10M a year and lives in a $17M mansion. That, we call "norms" I suppose, but when I stop and think about what's become accepted and common in college sports...

When it comes to ruining the sport, you can pick a couple of different hills to die on. The world started coming to an end when the help became able to cash in for themselves.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

The NIL is really going to ruin the sport.

Nah, it’s going to be more transparent now. We’ve seen HC leave for more money, now we get to see teenagers leave for more money. Meanwhile, it brings schools like ND to the forefront as a university that student-athletes choose vs choosing a HC (& now NIL deal). Make no mistake, the majority of the top recruits choose a HC…not the school (prior to NIL). That’s why the Sabans, Fishers, Swinneys, Rileys etc command the big money. Now if/when a kid chooses a school based on NIL, what happens when that kid doesn’t produce? Business people aren’t going to fork out money for busts for very long. Or what happens when he out performs his expectations? He’s leaving for a better deal. This is what everyone wanted. Now we have it so sit back and enjoy whining & gnashing of teeth.