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Nico Iamaleava is heading home to California. The former Tennessee quarterback has signed with UCLA, the school announced Sunday, ending a whirlwind transfer saga that captivated college football fans over the past two weeks.
The Southern California native confirmed his commitment on Instagram, writing: “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!”
Nico is officially a Bruin! Welcome to Westwood, @nico_iamaleava8! #DoMore #DRE pic.twitter.com/75gv4nkCUK
— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) April 20, 2025
The split between Tennessee and Iamaleava came after the quarterback reportedly asked for a new NIL deal worth $4 million annually — nearly double his original agreement, according to ESPN’s Chris Low. That original deal was already considered a high-water mark in the early NIL landscape, making the financial standoff between the two sides particularly notable.
Tennessee ultimately chose to move on from Iamaleava just before its April 13 spring game, coinciding with the opening of the spring transfer portal window.
Bruins Making Big-Time Portal Moves
UCLA is clearly swinging for the fences in the transfer portal this offseason. The Bruins landed former New Mexico basketball star Donovan Dent last month for what sources told CBS Sports was around $3 million.
Now they’ve added Iamaleava, who threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns last season while leading Tennessee to the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff in his first year as a starter.
The Bruins desperately needed quarterback help.
UCLA’s offense ranked near the bottom of the Big Ten last year — 15th in yards per game (328.8) and dead last in scoring (18.4 points). The team had previously brought in App State transfer Joey Aguilar, who was projected as the starter before Iamaleava’s arrival.
Interestingly, Nico’s younger brother Madden was originally committed to UCLA before flipping to Arkansas during December’s early signing period.
A Wild Breakup in Knoxville
The Iamaleava-Tennessee saga unfolded rapidly and dramatically. Things fell apart after the quarterback’s unexpected absence from Tennessee’s final practice before the spring game. The very next day, news broke that the Volunteers were moving on from their star QB.
In his Instagram post Sunday, Iamaleava expressed gratitude toward Tennessee fans: “To the amazing people in Knoxville, thank you for embracing and uplifting me throughout my time there. I’ll be forever thankful for the support you showed me every step of the way and I’ll always cherish the relationships I built there and the memories I created with my brothers. I believe with all my heart that I gave my all as a Volunteer. I’m truly grateful for the time I had at UT.”
UCLA always made sense as a landing spot — it’s close to Iamaleava’s Los Angeles home and the Bruins had a clear need at quarterback.
Why Iamaleava is Worth the Investment
Despite the baggage from Tennessee, this is exactly the type of move UCLA needed to make. Players with Iamaleava’s talent level don’t become available often.
He was one of Southern California’s top recruits in the 2023 class, and his ceiling remains incredibly high.
The quarterback will work with new UCLA offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri, a 36-year-old rising star who spent last season as Indiana’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Sunseri played a key role in developing Kurtis Rourke while helping Indiana lead the Big Ten in scoring offense (41.3 points per game) and finish fourth in total yards (426.4).
For a UCLA program coming off a disappointing 5-7 season, landing a quarterback with Iamaleava’s potential could be the difference-maker they’ve been searching for in their transition to the Big Ten.
