The drama — for now — between Nico Iamaleava and the Tennessee Volunteers is over. Iamaleava is set to become the starting quarterback at UCLA, while Joey Aguilar, who originally transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA, is now headed to Knoxville.
On Wednesday, after most of the dust had settled, ESPN reported new details on just how the messy breakup between Iamaleava and Tennessee unfolded — a process that began all the way back on Dec. 28, just before the winter transfer portal window closed.
“Tennessee sources say Iamaleava’s representatives, including his father, Nic, reached out to the Tennessee NIL collective, Spyre Sports Group,” ESPN reported. “They wanted to increase Iamaleava’s pay for 2025 to around $4 million, getting him closer to the amount eventually procured by transfer quarterbacks Carson Beck (Miami) and Darian Mensah (Duke) during the winter portal. Iamaleava was set to make around $2.4 million at Tennessee this year, sources said.”
Iamaleava’s representatives, however, told ESPN that the $4 million figure was not accurate.
Following Tennessee’s 42–17 loss to Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff, sources said Iamaleava stepped away from the team for a “mental break.” At that time, his representatives were reportedly considering entering him into the transfer portal.
According to the report, Tennessee believed Iamaleava’s camp reached out to multiple schools during the winter, including Miami, Ole Miss, and Oregon. While Josh Heupel was said to have talked Iamaleava out of leaving during that period, the tension simmered through the offseason.
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Because SEC rules prevent intra-conference transfers during the spring window, and Miami had already landed Carson Beck, Iamaleava’s team circled back to Oregon. However, the Ducks not only declined interest — they also alerted Tennessee about the contact.
Ultimately, Iamaleava missing practice just days before Tennessee’s spring game became the final straw. He entered the portal and eventually returned to his home state with the Bruins.
Many now view Iamaleava’s transfer as a case study for the chaos emerging from an NIL landscape still without clear parameters. Legal actions could also arise down the line. Arkansas, which recently lost Iamaleava’s younger brother Madden to UCLA, could potentially seek repayment of NIL funds. For now, that remains speculation.
One thing is clear: the Iamaleava saga may be over, but its ripple effects across college football are just beginning.
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