FS1 studio host Colin Cowherd is best known for his propensity to fire off hot takes and his unique analogies over the years on The Herd. But on Wednesday, Cowherd played the role of a college football insider when it came to the commitment of highly-discussed collegiate quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
Iamaleava has of course made headlines over the past week after opting to enter the transfer portal due to disagreements with the Tennessee Volunteers over their agreed-upon NIL compensation. This came after Iamaleava opted not to participate in the team’s spring practice this past Friday and their Spring Game on Saturday.
In the days following Iamaleava’s decision to officially enter the transfer portal, media members have continuously speculated on which teams could potentially be in the market to bring in Iamaleava in the portal, and whether or not teams should be interested in him.
On Wednesday, all of that speculation came to an end when Cowherd took to social media to report that he was informed of Iamaleava’s commitment to the UCLA Bruins.
“I am told, moments ago, Nico Iamaleava is going to UCLA. Family still claims it’s NOT about the money,” wrote Cowherd in a post on X. “It’s about the Tennessee Volunteers’ offense. I was not told what the Bruins are paying.”
Minutes later, additional sports media outlets around the college football space, including On3 Sports and Yahoo Sports among others, cited Cowherd as the original source for the news.
Cowherd regularly has guests on The Herd that are plugged into happenings around the sport, like Fox color analyst Joel Klatt and Fox studio analyst Urban Meyer. So naturally, Cowherd is well aware of things happening behind the scenes that are not obvious to others.
Interestingly, Cowherd initially didn’t see UCLA as a likely landing spot for Iamaleava, saying on Tuesday’s edition of The Herd that he believed that UCLA “didn’t have the money” to bring him in.
But still, it is quite impressive to see Cowherd get to this story quicker than anyone, considering just how highly discussed Iamaleava has been recently.
“Thanks for coming on, Gary. Appreciate it.”
By Michael Dixon OnApr 16, 2025
Bilas will join Mark Jones and Jorge Sedano on ABC for Timberwolves-Lakers.
By Sam Neumann OnApr 16, 2025
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.”
By Brendon Kleen OnApr 16, 2025
The sides did not reach an agreement after a March 10 mediation, but continue to talk.
By Drew Lerner OnApr 16, 2025
Edit by Liam McGuire, Comeback Media.
From Herbstreit’s perspective, it’s become nearly impossible to criticize a player in today’s college football without being labeled as anti-player or out of touch.
By Sam Neumann OnApr 16, 2025
