From monikers like ‘I-ama-leaving’ to thrusting the reality of NIL into the harsh spotlight, one name is buzzing in college football right now: Tennessee… oops, former Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava. While Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is dealing with some rough waters, other coaches like Mario Cristobal have weighed in. Now, it was Lane Kiffin’s turn to talk about the Iamaleava drama. Right now, the Rebels head coach’s personal life seems pretty full, as he’s rekindling things with his wife, Layla, after their divorce. Meanwhile, back on the field, Ole Miss’ quarterback room just got more crowded thanks to a DII All-American transfer—meaning Austin Simmons’ QB1 spot is suddenly facing some heat. Even with all this going on, Kiffin still took the time to address the media about the Iamaleava hoopla.
So, Iamaleava is on his way to find a new team, far from Tennessee and the SEC. This is the quarterback who led Tennessee to a 10-3 record in his first year as the starter, but then decided to switch to UCLA. Apparently, he and his people were looking for a $4 million per year bump in his NIL earnings. The deal he signed with Heupel’s squad back when he committed in 2022 was for $2-2.4 million a year. That’s when the Vols head coach pushed back, declaring they’d “move forward as a program without him.” He even said, “There’s nobody bigger than the Power T.”
This move by the quarterback really upset Cristobal, who issued a strong warning for his own squad. “We’re not going to do that at Miami,” said the HC, who already has a quarterback earning $4 million in NIL on his roster. The Miami HC continued firmly, “And I say that without any hesitation. If anyone is thinking that, they can be the best player in the world. If they wanna play holdout, they might as well play get out.” Surprisingly, Kiffin didn’t have the same ‘take it or leave it’ attitude as Cristobal.
Kiffin’s own departure from Tennessee after just one season in 2009 to coach USC has drawn parallels with Iamaleava’s move, with one fan even famously quipping, “He’s [Nico] Lane Kiffin’d us.” So, when the Ole Miss HC faced the media on April 17th, many expected some strong opinions. But instead, Kiffin called for even-handedness regarding the Iamaleava situation, explaining that the 20-year-old player still has his whole career ahead of him, leading him to refrain from any harsh commentary. Rather, he shared…
“I’m not really going to comment much on that because I don’t know all the details… In this instance about a kid, and we don’t even have the facts to know if the stuff and the narratives out there is even true. So, I don’t think it’s really fair to take shots at him when all the facts and details of the situation aren’t out there and seem to be more in favor of the program side. Which, we’re able to have a big voice as a program.”
Instead, Kiffin seemed to be more interested in talking about his recent developments in the quarterback room. Simmons is likely to succeed Jaxson Dart. But behind him, there aren’t a ton of proven players in that quarterback room. The two players to count on are Pierce Clarkson, who is projected as the backup, and redshirt freshman AJ Maddox. But the Rebels’ head coach thought of further bolstering the room and added former Ferris State All-American signal caller Trinidad Chambliss from the portal. Turns out that Kiffin might have been having some FOMO given the player’s stats. The dual-threat quarterback from Grand Rapids, Michigan, passed for 26 touchdowns last season and averaged 195 passing yards.
On paper, this is a very intriguing pickup. The 6-1, 200-pound passer is coming off a dynamic 2024 season for the Bulldogs. Meanwhile, Kiffin sounded all confident about his new addition. “We were able to do that kind of in a strange circumstance where someone, because the Division II was already in the portal, and in my opinion, got a head start on that versus waiting for this portal. And then everybody else on it, what that market’s probably going to drive at that position. I think will be extremely high.” Now, is Simmons feeling the heat?
Mutual respect and fierce competition in Lane Kiffin’s squad
Well, Kiffin’s 19-year-old quarterback is already reeling in enough praise. On April 11, ESPN analyst Pete Thamel could not stop himself from talking about Simmons. “I am very interested in Austin Simmons, a lefty who is just dripping with talent. He’s the first in my memory. I’m sure somebody’s done it. Early, early enrollee, right? He went two classes early. And talented baseball player as well, though he’s given that up.” Ole Miss fans were lucky enough to see some of Simmons’ action last season.
Kiffin’s quarterback had a warmup where he came up with 19 of 32 yards and two touchdowns. He had to man up after Dart went down against the Bulldogs. Simmons made Kiffin super proud by holding his composure and went 5-of-6 and even sparked a touchdown drive. So, when the CFB world goes gaga about Chambliss, Simmons holds a positive outlook towards his competitor. On April 17th, he faced the media, and obviously the Division II second-team All-America quarterback’s topic sparked up.
Without showing any signs of stress, Austin Simmons replied, “We have Trinidad coming in. Can’t wait to meet him. Hopefully, it’s going to be a great addition for us. Can’t wait to meet him. Really just can’t wait to compete with them out here.” For both Simmons and Trinidad Chambliss, the ceiling is going to be pretty high. Firstly, they will have to live up to the standards of Jaxson Dart—the 1st in Ole Miss winning percentage by a starting quarterback (. 737), 1st in Ole Miss career total offense (12,115), 1st in Ole Miss career passing yards (10,617). Secondly, even though Lane Kiffin might not address this, he carries the pain of the big snub when he was fired by USC in 2013. So, it would be an immense pleasure for him to steal the “quarterback whisperer” tag from Lincoln Riley.
The post Lane Kiffin Sends Clear Message to Nico Iamaleava After Putting Austin Simmons’ QB1 Slot on High Alert appeared first on EssentiallySports.
