Four days after making a dramatic exit from Tennessee, quarterback Nico Iamaleava is reportedly on his way to UCLA … Or is he?
According to reports, the 20-year-old Long Beach, California native is expected to transfer to the Bruins. The news was first shared by FS1’s Colin Cowherd.
Iamaleava spent the last two seasons with the Tennessee Volunteers, where he helped lead the team to a College Football Playoff berth in 2024.
However, the entire college football knows how things have played out last week…
Adding some extra drama to the wild situation, Cowherd’s claim that Iamaleava is headed to UCLA may not be set in stone just yet.
Chris Low of ESPN reported that the transfer has not been finalized, with sources telling him that negotiations are still ongoing.
“We’ll see if it gets worked out,” a UCLA source told Low regarding Iamaleava. “He’s extremely talented with starting experience against elite competition. That’s sort of where we are right now.”
Another source close to the situation suggested that UCLA is taking a “sit tight” approach while Iamaleava considers his options.
One thing seems to be for sure… If Iamaleava does end up joining the Bruins, he not only won’t be receiving the $4 million per-year payment he was seeking, but he may not even receive the $2.4 million he was set to make at Tennessee this coming season.
Meanwhile, the transfer of Iamaleava is raising questions about the future of UCLA’s current quarterback, Joey Aguilar.
Aguilar, who recently transferred from Appalachian State, emerged from spring practice as the likely starter. However, sources told Low that Aguilar’s representatives have already started reaching out to other schools to gauge their interest.
The quarterback drama at Tennessee and UCLA comes just days after the Vols and Iamaleava parted ways following an extremely ugly dispute over NIL money… Just another sign of the times.
The tension surrounding the situation cast a shadow over a promising tenure that included a standout 2024 season in which Iamaleava threw for 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions over 13 games.
UCLA is in the midst of recovering from its worst season since 2019 by winning percentage, though the team showed signs of improvement under first-year head coach Deshaun Foster.
What are your thoughts on the Nico situation? … Despite the apparent snag in negotiations, do you think he will indeed end up at UCLA???
