Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel offered a telling quote about quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s NIL controversy and departure.

Heupel discussed Iamaleava’s decision to enter the transfer portal after failing to come to a new NIL agreement with Tennessee. While Heupel stopped short of calling out Iamaleava, his comment about the quarterback’s decision certainly felt quite pointed.

“It’s the state of college football,” Heupel said. “At the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program. That includes me, too. We’ve got an opportunity. We’ve got a bunch of guys that will give their all for Tennessee.”