Nico Iamaleava Expected to Transfer to UCLA

Former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is expected to transfer to UCLA, though the move is not yet official. Iamaleava, a five-star recruit, reportedly asked for a $4 million NIL deal to stay at Tennessee but will receive much less at UCLA. Debate continues over whether financial reasons or dissatisfaction with Tennessee’s offense motivated his departure, despite the Vols' highly regarded system. At UCLA, he will compete with senior transfer Joey Aguilar for the starting quarterback position. The Bruins, now competing in the Big Ten, have a new offensive coordinator, Tino Sunseri, adding further uncertainty to the team's leadership. Iamaleava's transfer comes as his brother recently flipped his commitment from UCLA to Arkansas.