Cordell Landers was Iamaleava’s advisor during an NIL payment dispute in April 2025 that led to Iamaleava abruptly leaving UT during spring practice, entering the portal and transferring to UCLA. Iamaleava did not have an agent at the time, and Landers sometimes filled that role alongside Nic Iamaleava, Nico’s father.
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At the time, Iamaleava was among the highest-paid players in college football, reportedly earning more than $2 million a year under a multi-year NIL contract with Tennessee. Chris Low, then at ESPN, reported that Iamaleava’s representatives wanted his salary to increase to $4 million per year, using the possibility of him entering the portal as leverage.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Landers has resurfaced as an advisor to Williams, who announced his intention to enter the portal four days after signing an NIL contract paying more than $4 million.
Landers has contacted schools on Williams’ behalf to get him a lucrative deal, according to the report. Landers denied involvement. Washington is taking legal action to enforce Williams’ contract.
Landers is a former college coach and director of player personnel at the University of Florida under Dan Mullen. 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 Iamaleava family and attempted to negotiate a raise for Nico before the quarterback left Tennessee.
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Meanwhile, the Williams situation could have a ripple effect on Tennessee’s current search for a quarterback.
LSU is reportedly interested in Williams and has already received Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt. And Leavitt arrived in Tennessee on Jan. 7 for a recruiting portal visit and remains in Knoxville.
Adam Sparks is Tennessee’s football reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared in the Knoxville News Sentinel: Nico Iamaleava’s adviser helped Demond Williams leave Washington, report says.