Tennessee Vols Football Players React to Nico Iamaleava Transferring to UCLA

Tennessee Volunteer football players react to quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferring to UCLA.

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) celebrates a touchdown during the first half of the College Football Playoff first round game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Dec. 21, 2024. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee Volunteer football players react to quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferring to UCLA.

It was announced last week that it was very likely that Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava was going to transfer to UCLA, but nothing had been made official. On Sunday, Iamaleava's move to the West Coast was made official.

This has been the biggest news of the entire college football offseason. This comes after Tennessee and Josh Heupel announced they were moving on from the former five-star amidst contract negotiations and him skipping practice on Friday.

Iamaleava posted on Instagram his official transfer announcement and many current Tennessee Volunteer football players were in the comment section reacting to the decision.

Tennessee quarterback Jake Merklinger commented "My Brother" with a heart emoji. Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy commented the 100 emoji. Freshman offensive lineman David Sanders Jr. commented "Go turn up". Even former Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson chimed in by commenting a red heart emoji.

There were a litany of current and former Tennessee Volunteer football players listed under Iamaleava's post. All of which appear to be in support of Iamaleava's decision to transfer out of the program.

Follow Our Social Media Pages:

• Follow Tennessee on SI on Twitter: @VolsOnSI
• Follow Tennessee on SI on Facebook: @VOLS on SI

Follow Our Staff:

• Follow Caleb Sisk On Twitter: @CalebSisk_
• Follow Tanner Johnson On Twitter: @JohnsonTanner23_
• Follow Jonathan Williams On Twitter: @DR_JWill
• Follow Evan Crowell On Twitter: @evanvcrowell
• Follow Brooks Austin On Twitter: @BrooksAustinBA
• Follow Josh Greer On Twitter: @JSGreer731

Follow Our Website

Make sure to follow our website Tennessee on SI.

OTHER TENNESSEE NEWS

• REPORT: Transfer Price for Nico Iamaleava Rapidly Dropping
• What We Learned About the Tennessee Volunteers During Spring Practice
• NCAA Transfer Portal Needs that Must Be Addressed by Tennessee Football
• North Carolina Football Reportedly "Out of the Mix" for Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava
• Tennessee Football 2026 Target G'nivre Carr Recaps Tennessee Spring Game Visit
• Who’s Next for Tennessee Football at Quarterback?
• Tennessee Football Linebacker Target Brayden Rouse Recaps Tennessee Spring Visit
• Tennessee's Elijah Simmons Labeled One of the Biggest Sleepers for 2025 NFL Draft
• Where Will Nico Iamaleava Transfer - Options For Vols Transfer QB Limited
• Latest NCAA Baseball Rankings: Tennessee Volunteers Rise Up a Spot
• Former Tennessee Quarterback Comments on Nico Iamaleava Transferring
• Tennessee Players Threatened to Sit Out of Playoff Game Over NIL, Including Iamaleava