Oregon football head coach Dan Lanning is getting plenty of publicity about a subject he might not want his name attached to. Rumors have been spreading on social media that Lanning tipped off Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel that quarterback Nico Iamaleava was sniffing around for transfer opportunities.
Iamaleava was dismissed from the Volunteers program on Saturday after choosing to sit out of practice earlier in the week. He was seeking $4 million in NIL funds for the upcoming season. He was set to receive $2.4 million in 2025 after leading Tennessee to the first round of the College Football Playoff in 2024.
Per a report by Pete Thamel of ESPN, Tennessee was made aware that Oregon was one of the teams that Iamaleava’s representatives reached out to this spring, but the Ducks were not interested in the redshirt sophomore.
Rumors point to Dan Lanning being a snitch
Rumors have been circulating over the weekend that Lanning reached out to Heupel regarding action by Iamaleava’s representation. No credible report links Lanning to the rumor, and there could be a major backlash for Oregon if their head coach betrayed the trust of a player looking to enter the transfer portal.
Talented high school and college players might avoid Lanning and the Ducks, fearing he’d rat them out. Some on social media thought Lanning snitched on Iamaleava.
Dan Lanning reportedly snitched on Nico Iamaleava’s dad for looking for a better offer. Here are Lanning’s QBs while at Oregon:
• 2022/23: Auburn transfer Bo Nix
• 2024: UCF/OU/UCLA (for one day) transfer Dillon Gabriel
• 2025: UCLA transfer Dante Moore https://t.co/MKnyDB1PT4— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) April 12, 2025
Oregon Football wants to keep clear of the rumor
Per James Crepea of The Oregonian, Lanning was asked by reporters after the Duck’s scrimmage game on Saturday if he contacted anyone at Tennessee, including Heupel, about Iamaleava looking for a new home. Lanning chose to sidestep the answer.
“I’m not getting into anything else except — let’s talk about the scrimmage today,” Lanning said. “The Ducks worked really hard at their scrimmage today.”
Credit should go to Lanning for not lying on Saturday. However, a denial would have been better for Oregon and Tennessee.
While some fans think Lanning and Oregon look like the nice guy for tipping Tennessee off, the Ducks stand to lose out in recruiting if players around the country believe their coach is snitch.
For More Football News:
Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and NFL news, click here!
