One of the instigators of Nico Iamaleava’s exit from the Tennessee football team was also involved in quarterback Demond Williams’ shocking departure from Washington, ESPN reports.
In April 2025, while Cordell Landers was serving as Iamaleava’s advisor, a dispute over NIL salary arose, causing Iamaleava to abruptly leave UT during spring training, enter the portal and transfer to UCLA. Iamaleava did not have an agent at the time, a role Landers would sometimes share with Nico’s father, Nic Iamaleava.
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At the time, Iamaleava was one of the highest-paid players in college football, reportedly making more than $2 million per year under his multi-year NIL contract with Tennessee. Chris Low, who was working for ESPN at the time, reported that Iamaleava’s representatives wanted to increase his annual salary to $4 million, using the possibility of him entering the portal as leverage.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports that Landers has returned as an advisor to Williams, who announced his intention to enter the portal four days after signing an NIL contract worth more than $4 million.
Landers has reportedly contacted schools on Williams’ behalf to secure a lucrative contract for him. Landers denied any involvement. Washington is taking legal action to enforce Williams’ contract.
Landers is a former junior college coach under Dan Mullen and director of player personnel at the University of Florida. He is a long-time friend of the Iamaleava family and coached Nico’s 7-on-7 team in high school. He often traveled to Knoxville with the Yamalewa family and tried to negotiate a raise for Nico before the quarterback left Tennessee.
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Williams’ situation, meanwhile, could have a domino effect on Tennessee’s current quarterback search.
LSU is reportedly interested in Williams and has already taken on Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt. Leavitt arrived in Tennessee on a portal recruiting visit on Jan. 7 and remains in Knoxville.
Adam Sparks is a Tennessee football reporter. e-mail adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@adamsparks. Support strong local journalism with a subscription knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared in the Knoxville News-Sentinel: Advisor Nico Imalewa reportedly helped Demond Williams leave Washington
