Nico Iamaleava expected to join UCLA after coaches tell other QBs his plan: reports

Nico Iamaleava has a caller team, and the UCLA coaching unit reportedly told its quarterbacks that the erstwhile Tennessee Volunteers signal-caller is expected to transportation to the Bruins, per ESPN. 

UCLA has been connected to Iamaleava since helium entered the transportation portal aft a reported rift with Tennessee implicit NIL negotiations. 

ESPN reports a "formal determination is expected successful the adjacent future," though conversations with the quarterbacks connected the existent roster are a wide measurement that the Bruins are preparing for Iamaleava to articulation them. 

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Tennessee Volunteers backmost Nico Iamaleava (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images)

It is chartless what NIL negotiations occurred betwixt UCLA and Iamaleava. 

Drama surrounded Iamaleava and Tennessee, the second of which stood steadfast against the former’s alleged NIL demands arsenic Iamaleava’s father, Nic, had been publically denying that his lad was leaving the programme for fiscal reasons. 

NICO IAMALEAVA COULD LOSE MILLIONS WITH NEW TEAM AFTER TENNESSEE NIL DRAMA: REPORT

Iamaleava's NIL play with the Vols sent daze waves done assemblage shot due to the fact that helium became the first-ever assemblage subordinate to clasp retired from a programme for a bigger payout. His woody was reportedly worthy up to $10 cardinal implicit aggregate seasons, and helium was acceptable to marque $2.4 cardinal this upcoming season, during which helium could acceptable himself up arsenic a first-round prime successful the 2026 NFL Draft. 

ESPN reported that Iamaleava was seeking a woody worthy $4 cardinal for adjacent play with Tennessee, which helium led to the College Football Playoff past season. He reportedly felt helium deserved what different quarterbacks who transferred were getting, including Carson Beck, who left the Georgia Bulldogs to articulation the Miami Hurricanes. 

Nic Iamaleava, Nico's father, denied his lad was pushing for much NIL wealth earlier the season, telling Front Office Sports this past Monday, "The communicative was bulls---."

Tennessee backmost Nico Iamaleava throws the shot during the archetypal 4th astatine FirstBank Stadium successful Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 30, 2024. (IMAGN)

Vols caput manager Josh Heupel's comments connected the substance appeared to corroborate Iamaleava was near disconnected Saturday's outpouring crippled roster owed to a fiscal rift. 

"No 1 is ever bigger than the program," Heupel said portion thanking Iamaleava for his services to the team. "That includes me, too."

Now heading to UCLA, Iamaleava goes backmost to Southern California, wherever helium emerged arsenic a five-star imaginable retired of Long Beach. He was recruited by UCLA retired of precocious school, and his younger brother, Madden, antecedently committed to the Bruins earlier signing with Arkansas. 

DeShaun Foster, heading into his 2nd twelvemonth arsenic caput coach, gets a large upgrade astatine the astir important presumption connected the field. 

Tennessee backmost Nico Iamaleava walks disconnected the tract aft the triumph implicit Kentucky, Nov. 2, 2024, successful Knoxville, Tenn. (Saul Young/News Sentinel/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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Iamaleava threw for 2,616 yards with 19 touchdowns past season. Tennessee earned a College Football Playoff spot but fell to Ohio State and saw their nationalist rubric hopes crushed.

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