Nico Iamaleava has a new home.
The former Tennessee quarterback is headed to UCLA, returning to his home state after a tumultuous end to his two seasons with the Volunteers, he announced via a post on Instagram.
The move to UCLA comes after Iamaleava fell out of favor with Tennessee last week. He reportedly wanted to renegotiate his NIL contract with the Volunteers, seeking more money than his previous deal and also had concerns about the Volunteers offense. Iamaleava missed the team’s Friday practice before its Saturday spring game, and Tennessee decided to cut ties with the quarterback.
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) looks to pass against Vanderbilt during their game at FirstBank Stadium.
Iamaleava’s deal with the Volunteers was reportedly worth more than $2 million per year, and ESPN reported his representatives wanted his NIL pay increased to $4 million per year.
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The spring transfer portal window officially opened Wednesday and Iamaleava entered it with a “do not contact” designation, typically signaling the player either already knows where they are going or will be communicating with a select number of schools.
Iamaleava, a native of Long Beach, California, joins a UCLA team that was on the hunt for a quarterback after last season’s starter, Ethan Garbers, ran out of eligibility. The team added former Appalachian State quarterback Joey Aguilar in December to assume the starting duties.
The move is an important signing for second-year UCLA coach DeShaun Foster, who is coming off a 5-7 campaign and a 3-6 record in its first season in the Big Ten. The team ranked 126th out 133 FBS teams in scoring offense (18.4) and 118th in total offense (328.8). Ironically, Foster had a commitment Iamaleava’s younger brother, Madden, as part of the 2025 recruiting class, but the high school quarterback flipped on signing day to sign with Arkansas.
A five-star recruit, Iamaleava redshirted his freshman season before a solid first year as Tennessee’s quarterback. He led the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff, throwing for 2,616 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions on 63.8% completion percentage. But he also struggled against Ohio State, throwing for 104 yards in a first-round loss. That followed poor performances in defeats away from home against Arkansas and Georgia.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nico Iamaleava joining UCLA after Tennessee transfer portal exit
