Former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is expected to transfer to UCLA, a source briefed on the process said.
Iamaleava officially entered the transfer portal Wednesday with a “do not contact” label. He left Tennessee last week after attempts to rework his contract with a Tennessee name, image and likeness (NIL) collective went public.
He initially committed to Tennessee in March 2022, shortly after signing an NIL deal with Spyre Sports, Tennessee’s collective, that paid him more than $8 million over four years. Entering the final year of that contract, Iamaleava’s representatives were seeking a raise to around $4 million ahead of the 2025 season, a person briefed on the matter said.
The Iamaleavas also sought assurances that Tennessee would improve its offensive line and receiving corps this offseason.
Tennessee was unwilling to meet the financial demands dating back to the 30-day winter portal window in December. On Friday, a day before Tennessee’s spring game, Iamaleava was absent from practice.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Saturday he elected to move on without Iamaleava when he hadn’t received any correspondence from Iamaleava or his representatives by the end of practice.
“No one is bigger than the Power T,” Heupel said. “Including me.”
After quarterbacking Tennessee to a 10-3 record and a College Football Playoff appearance as a first-year starter last season, Iamaleava is expected to head closer to home as a key building block for second-year coach Deshaun Foster, who took over at UCLA last offseason after coach Chip Kelly left to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. Iamaleava is a native of Long Beach, Calif.
The Bruins went 5-7 but closed with four wins in their final six games. The Bruins added Appalachian State transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar this offseason to an offense that ranked 95th in yards per play.
Foster hired first-time play caller Tino Sunseri as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in January. He replaced former Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Football Team offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who Foster fired at the end of his first season in Westwood. Sunseri worked as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Indiana last year, helping Kurtis Rourke lead the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff.
This is a developing story. More to come.
(Photo: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
