Former Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava reportedly set to transfer to UCLA

Former Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava is reportedly heading to UCLA after two seasons with the Volunteers. (Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

(Robin Alam/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

It didn’t take long for Nico Iamaleava to find a new school.

Hours after he officially entered the transfer portal with a do not contact tag on Wednesday, the former Tennessee quarterback is expected to head to UCLA according to the Athletic.

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Iamaleava parted ways with Tennessee ahead of the team’s spring game on Saturday over an alleged compensation dispute with the school’s collective. Though Iamaleava’s father has disputed that an increase in NIL money was at the center of the conflict, the quarterback didn’t show up to team activities on Friday and was no longer a member of the team when the spring game was played.

After the spring game, coach Josh Heupel said “there’s no one that’s bigger than the Power T. And that includes me.”

Iamaleava spent one season as Tennessee’s starter and threw 19 touchdown passes as the Volunteers made the College Football Playoff. But Tennessee’s offense sputtered at times during the second half of the season. Eleven of the Iamaleava’s TD passes came in three games at the start of the season. The focal point of the team’s offense became all-SEC running back Dylan Sampson as the Vols were eliminated from the postseason by eventual national champion Ohio State.

Overall, Iamaleava was 213-of-334 passing for 2,616 yards with five interceptions over 13 games in 2024.

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It’s unclear if Iamaleava received the money he was allegedly looking for from UCLA and its collectives as college athletes are increasingly looking for more money ahead of the impending House settlement that will allow athletic departments to directly compensate players. According to…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/former-tennessee-qb-nico-iamaleava-reportedly-set-to-transfer-to-ucla-205640078.html

Author : Nick Bromberg

Publish date : 2025-04-16 20:56:00

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