Nico Iamaleava Makes Transfer to UCLA Instagram Official

Nico Iamaleava threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns for the Tennessee Volunteers in 2024.
Nico Iamaleava threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns for the Tennessee Volunteers in 2024. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nico Iamaleava's transfer saga has finally ended.

The former Tennessee quarterback who entered the transfer portal more than a week ago after an NIL dispute with the Volunteers has officially made his choice. As rumored for days, Iamaleava will transfer to UCLA. He made the announcement on Instagram.

Iamaleava's move away from Tennessee began when he skipped a practice while attempting to renegotiate his NIL deal. Tennessee quickly moved on from him, which led to his move to the transfer portal.

He is the second starting quarterback to transfer to UCLA this offseason, as Appalachian State transfer Joey Aguilar committed to the Bruins in December. The presumption will be that as soon as he steps on campus, Iamaleava will be UCLA's starter,

As a redshirt freshman in 2024, Iamaleava completed 63.8% of his passes for 2,616 yards, with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. He added 358 yards and three more touchdowns on the ground.

The 6'6" former five-star recruit is extremely talented but will face a ton of questions as he joins a UCLA program that went 5-7 last season.


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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.