Why UCLA's Nico Iamaleava Couldn't Succeed Under Josh Heupel

Nico Iamaleava's departure from Tennessee may have been more about offensive scheme than an NIL dispute.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel turns to quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) after their post game interview after winning the Citrus Bowl NCAA College football game on Monday, January 1, 2024 in Orlando, Fla. against Iowa. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava's transfer from Tennessee to Westwood shook the college football landscape, resulting in a costly blow to his reputation as a rising redshirt sophomore.

Between the narrative of his leaving due to an NIL dispute and his rebuttal detailing that the move was more about getting back to his family in Southern California, what gets lost is what actually happened on the football field.

Nov 2, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel talks to quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) on the sidelines against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Caitie McMekin/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Caitie McMekin/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt not only came to Iamaleava's defense, but also detailed why he needed to get away from Vols head coach Josh Heupel.

"He wanted the offense to grow with him," Klatt said on the latest edition of The Joel Klatt Show. "That offense that Josh Heupel runs is almost like a glorified high school offense. It's the old Art Briles offense that they ran at Baylor. And the reason that it doesn't develop a quarterback is because everything is a half-field read. So it's wide receiver choice routes on one side of the field, which is why none of those Baylor quarterbacks made it in the NFL.

"And Nico understood that, and he knew that. And so they wanted the offense to expand and to grow and to develop. And when it didn't do that through spring football, that's when he was like, 'I don't know if this is the right place for me.' Now, he never got the chance to tell that story because Tennessee immediately went out there and made it a money issue and tried to take the virtuous route and say, 'Oh, whoa is us. Look at what our quarterback is doing, holding us hostage.'"

Given what Iamaleava experienced in Tennessee, it's no wonder that he's in awe of what UCLA offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri has taught him.

Sunseri Taught Iamaleava More Football Than Ever Before

Indiana University Quarterbacks Coach Tino Sunseri instucts players during fall practice at the Mellencamp Pavilion at Indiana University on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Iamaleava sat down with Ashley Adamson and Yogi Roth from the B1G Network for a behind-the-scenes of UCLA's fall camp and talked about his relationship with Sunseri.

"Man, I've learned so much football since I've gotten here with coach Tino," Iamaleava said. "I thought I knew football, but he opened my eyes to a whole new avenue, and I think it's just continuing to help my growth and I've been getting real comfortable with the offense."

The quarterback and his coordinator are both newcomers to this Bruins squad. Iamaleava came from Tennessee after a good redshirt freshman season and Sunseri came from Indiana, where he was co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

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