If Interested, Could UCLA Snag Nico Iamaleava on the Cheap?

UCLA may have a financially lucrative opportunity in front of it.

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

The Nico Iamaleava situation has taken a dramatic turn, with reports making it seem that interest in the player is at an all-time low, and it is highly unlikely he'll make anything close to what he was making at Tennessee.

In a report by ESPN's Pete Thamel and Max Olson, there is a belief that there is no market for Iamaleava.

"Multiple sources have told ESPN that Iamaleava's camp is seeking much more through the portal than the $4 million they hoped to earn with the Vols this year," Thamel and Olson wrote. "The read after talking to sources, however, is that he's unlikely to find a situation that gets him to that number."

"There has not been a flood of immediate interest in Iamaleava from big brands. Schools with less-than-established quarterback situations such as Notre Dame, USC, North Carolina and UCF have not expressed significant interest, according to team sources. Big paydays come from leverage, and there appears to be little out there."

North Carolina is out, Tulane, a school that had a plan in place to snag Iamaleava, pulled out. If UCLA was interested, now it the time to act.

"I think he has zero market," said a Power Four general manager, per Thamel and Olson's report. "It will be an interesting test of how smart and disciplined colleges are in looking at him."

UCLA could low-ball him and then wait as the market continues to crumble around him. Iamaleava's camp overplayed their hand, and they have no leverage. It remains unclear if it was Iamaleava himself or his camp that went fishing for money, but the reality is that schools are going to be cautious in order to not have a repeat situation.

That could lead to a business split between Iamaleava and his father. If that happens, other schools may come back into play, accelerating the timeline.

If UCLA really wanted to get dirty, it could leverage the failed negotiations between the Bruins and the Iamaleava camp for Iamaleava's brother, Madden, to force an advantageous deal.

This is a very complex situation that is setting a precedent for college football. I don't think we have seen something this controversial in terms of player movement since Maurice Clarett. Something to keep a very close eye on.

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