Nico Iamaleava lost one of his best weapons to the transfer portal on Friday afternoon. Tennessee wide receiver Squirrel White announced his decision to leave the program after three seasons with the intention of getting closer to home in Alabama.
The Volunteers’ quarterback immediately got cryptic on social media not long after the news became official. What does it mean? Nobody knows.
White, a former three-star recruit, quickly blossomed into a star while in Knoxville. He caught 131 passes for 1,665 yards and six touchdowns in three years. However, the 5-foot-1, 167-pound speedster saw his catches cut in half from 67 in 2023 to 34 in 2024. Perhaps the lack of touches this season played a part in the departure. Perhaps there are suitors out there who are willing to offer him more money for a bigger role. Maybe he really does just want to play in the larger Birmingham area so his family can get to games.
Whatever the reason, Squirrel White is on his way out. Tennessee’s third-leading receiver hinted at his imminent exit with one single emoji on his Instagram story about a week before he hit the portal.
Not long after White officially declared his intention to transfer on Friday, Nico Iamaleava posted the exact same emoji on his Instagram story. Vols fans were immediately concerned that their prized $8 million quarterback was going to pack his bags and join his former pass-catcher in the portal.
However, Iamaleava deleted his post shortly after the internet was set ablaze. The 20-year-old signal-caller followed it up with another post of the same image with a different emoji. His latest story also features the song ‘1st of tha Month’ by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
The transfer portal will officially close its winter window at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday night, Dec. 28. Does Nico Iamaleava’s post on Instagram indicate his pending departure just like White? Is he reacting to the news of White’s exit? There are all kinds of theories about what it could mean. Nobody knows for sure. It could mean everything. It could be nothing.