Tennessee switch quarterback Nico Iamaleava has signed with UCLA, the college introduced on Sunday. Iamaleava’s switch choice ends a major couple of weeks for 247Sports’ top-ranked participant within the portal. Tennessee moved on from the Southern California native forward of its April 13 spring sport and the opening of the spring portal window, ending a high-stakes standoff over NIL contract negotiations.
Iamaleava additionally confirmed his dedication to the Bruins in a publish on Instagram.
“My journey at UT has come to an finish,” Iamaleava wrote. “This choice was extremely troublesome, and in truth, not one thing I anticipated to make this quickly. However I belief God’s timing, and I imagine He is main me the place I must be. Although this chapter is ending, a brand new chapter has begun and I’m dedicated to UCLA!”
Iamaleava sought a brand new deal from Tennessee value $4 million yearly, almost double his authentic reported deal, per ESPN’s Chris Low. Iamaleava’s profitable first deal represented a high-water mark within the early NIL period in school athletics, and his standoff over extra money was a considerably becoming, if not ironic, approach for the 2 sides to half methods.
UCLA’s basketball program added former New Mexico star Donovan Dent final month, and Iamaleava’s addition marks the newest high-profile switch portal prospect the college has landed in as many weeks. The value tag to land Dent — considered one of school basketball’s most coveted transfers — was round $3 million, sources advised CBS Sports activities’ Isaac Trotter.
Iamaleava threw for two,616 yards and 19 touchdowns through the 2024 marketing campaign. He helped Tennessee attain the inaugural 12-team Faculty Soccer Playoff in his first season as a full-time starter final fall after spending the 2023 season as a backup to Joe Milton lll.
UCLA introduced in App State quarterback Joey Aguilar this previous offseason and he was projected because the starter heading into the autumn earlier than Iamaleava transferred in. The Bruins ranked fifteenth in yards per sport (328.8) and No. 16 in factors per sport (18.4) amongst all Huge Ten groups.
Iamaleava’s youthful brother, Madden Iamaleava, was beforehand dedicated to UCLA earlier than flipping his dedication to Arkansas through the early signing interval final December.
How we bought right here
Iamaleava’s saga is among the wildest storylines within the trendy period of faculty soccer. Iamaleava and Tennessee reportedly went via “contract negotiations” forward of the spring switch portal window opening, however issues deteriorated rapidly after Iamaleava’s absence forward of Tennessee’s remaining apply earlier than its spring sport. The subsequent day phrase broke that Tennessee was transferring on from its star quarterback.
“To the superb folks in Knoxville, thanks for embracing and uplifting me all through my time there,” Iamaleava wrote Sunday. “I will be perpetually grateful for the assist you confirmed me each step of the way in which and I am going to at all times cherish the relationships I constructed there and the reminiscences I created with my brothers. I imagine with all my coronary heart that I gave my all as a Volunteer. I am really grateful for the time I had at UT.”
UCLA was considered as one of the crucial logical touchdown spots attributable to its proximity to Iamaleava’s house in Los Angeles and the truth that the Bruins wanted a beginning signal-caller.
Why that is definitely worth the funding from UCLA
The addition of Iamaleava is the precise form of swing UCLA wanted to take this offseason. Regardless of the Tennessee baggage, gamers like Iamaleava do not develop on timber. He was one of many prime recruits popping out of Southern California in 2023, and the upside remains to be there for him to be an elite quarterback at this degree.
Iamaleava will probably be working carefully with new UCLA offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri. The 36-year-old rising star within the teaching world spent final season as Indiana’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and performed a key function within the improvement of Kurtis Rourke. Indiana completed No. 1 in scoring offense (41.3 factors per sport) and fourth in yards (426.4) amongst all Huge Ten groups final season.
The Bruins ranked fifteenth in yards per sport (328.8) and No. 16 in factors per sport (18.4) amongst all Huge Ten groups. In brief? Iamaleava is definitely worth the funding after UCLA went 5-7 through the 2024 season.
