Tennessee fans just can’t seem to escape the shadow of Nico Iamaleava.
Even College Football 26 couldn’t resist referencing the quarterback’s stunning spring departure—a move that sent shockwaves through the sport. Iamaleava exited the Tennessee program just ahead of the Vols’ spring game and eventually landed at UCLA.
“The 2024 season for Tennessee had some highs,” Rece Davis narrates in the game. “Wins over Bama, Florida and Oklahoma. Man, did it end with a thud when they got clipped by the Ohio State buzzsaw and then suffered the big shocker of the offseason with Nico Iamaleava jumping into the transfer portal.”
David Pollack follows up: “I don’t know that there was a more interesting offseason than in Knoxville. The quarterback spot, the drama…”
The commentary appears during a Tennessee vs. Arkansas matchup in the game, as seen in this clip:
Found it: pic.twitter.com/ZKiy2baorr https://t.co/WND3e3Zbv6
— Ghost of Neyland (@GhostNeyland) July 8, 2025
With early access to College Football 26 launching on July 7, it’s still unclear how many other real-life twists from the offseason are baked into the game’s commentary. Fans can likely expect more surprises to surface in the coming weeks.
As for the Vols, they’ve regrouped by adding former App State quarterback Joey Aguilar through the portal and remain a team with high hopes heading into 2025.
Tennessee kicks off the season against Syracuse in Week 1.
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