NIL
Why did Nico Iamaleava transfer to UCLA from Tennessee? What to know
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UCLA football and second-year coach DeShaun Foster made an offseason splash by bolstering their quarterback room by landing Nico Iamaleava in the transfer portal in the spring.
The addition of Iamaleava to the Bruins’ roster didn’t come without some drama, though.
A starter in the SEC last season at Tennessee, Iamaleava — ranked as the No. 2-ranked prospect in the 2023 recruiting class according to 247Sports Composite — returned home to the Los Angeles area in April after a reported NIL compensation dispute with the Vols.
The decision by Iamaleava to transfer subsequently caused Bruins quarterback Joey Aguilar, himself a transfer from Appalachian State, to enter the portal. (Aguilar, ironically, transferred Tennessee, eventually taking over Iamaleava’s spot at Tennessee).
With Iamaleava set to make his Big Ten and UCLA debut on Saturday, Aug. 30 against Utah, here’s what you need to know on what led Iamaleava to transfer from Tennessee to UCLA:
Where did Nico Iamaleava transfer from?
Following two seasons at Tennessee — one in which he started for the Vols and led them to the program’s first CFP berth — Iamaleava transferred to UCLA over the offseason.
He announced his transfer on April 20 on his Instagram account.
“… My journey at UT has come to an end. This decision was incredibly difficult, and truthfully, not something I expected to make this soon. But I trust God’s timing, and I believe He’s leading me where I need to be. Even though, this chapter is ending, a new chapter has begun and I am committed to UCLA,” Iamaleava wrote in a statement.
Why did Nico Iamaleava transfer from Tennessee?
Iamaleava’s decision to transfer to UCLA reportedly centered around a dispute over his NIL compensation.
As noted by Knox News, part of the USA TODAY Network, reports surfaced just ahead of the NCAA’s spring transfer portal window that Iamaleava was seeking a new NIL deal with Tennessee. The dispute led to Iamaleava skipping Tennessee’s final practice before the game.
The Long Branch native’s representatives were reportedly seeking an increase of $4 million per year in NIL pay for Iamaleava, who had an original NIL deal of $2 million per year, according to ESPN’s Chris Low.
Iamaleava officially entered his name into the transfer portal April 16, the first day of the spring transfer window, with a “do not contact” label. That suggested he already had a specific team to transfer to in mind, prior to submitting his name to the portal.
At Big Ten media days in Las Vegas in July, Iamaleava fielded numerous questions regarding his decision to transfer to UCLA, which finished tied-for-13th in the 18-team Big Ten with a 5-7 record.
“My driving factor to come back home was my family, and I hope every Tennessee fan understands that,” Iamaleava said at Big Ten media days. “It was just a lot of drama, but man, I’m excited to be at UCLA.”
Iamaleava claimed reports that he and his representatives were seeking a higher NIL compensation at Tennessee as “false.” He echoed that sentiment in a conversation July 24 interview with ESPN.
“I think just the outside world, in general, thinks that it was something that it wasn’t,” Iamaleava told ESPN. “Going back home was always in the back of my head. Just being back closer to my family; (it) took a toll on getting my family to Tennessee. It was just a lot of traveling.”
Nico Iamaleava stats
Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of what Iamaleava’s stats were at Tennessee:
- 2023: 28 of 45 (62.2%) passing for 314 yards and two touchdowns; 20 carries for 71 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns
- 2024: 213 of 334 (63.8%) passing for 2,616 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions; 109 carries for 358 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns
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