The Tennessee Volunteers have finally found their quarterback, but not in the way anyone expected. Nico Iamaleava’s decision to leave the program came out of nowhere — and the way he did it was nothing short of unprecedented. The former five-star QB returned home to California and committed to UCLA, setting the stage for one of the most unexpected twists in recent college football memory.
Joey Aguilar, who was expected to be UCLA’s starter, entered the transfer portal shortly after Iamaleava’s commitment was announced. Not long after, Aguilar committed to Tennessee — effectively creating what some are calling the first "trade" in college football history. The situation has become so notable that fans want the NCAA to schedule a game between the two.
For Tennessee, Aguilar may have just stumbled into a golden opportunity.
“Hey Joey Aguilar, pro tip. If you come to Tennessee and give it your all, my friend you will leave a multi-millionaire and never pay for a thing again in this state. Not kidding,” Allan Bell said. “You’ve been handed a lottery ticket, take advantage kid.”
While Iamaleava has faced criticism for how he exited, new UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster is standing by his quarterback.
“You just have to go with your gut and with the people that you trust,” Foster said. “You can't just read everything on social media and come to a conclusion from that. You have to do a little bit more homework.”
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That said, Foster also made it clear that neither Iamaleava nor Aguilar can officially join their new teams until they complete the current academic semester.
“UCLA coach DeShaun Foster noted today that QB Nico Iamaleava has to ‘finish first at Tennessee’ before joining the team this summer. To be eligible, transfers have to finish classes. The same goes for Joey Aguilar,” Chris Low wrote.
This latest development adds yet another chapter to what feels like a never-ending saga. But once classes are finished, both quarterbacks will be cleared to start fresh at their new schools.