Nico Iamleava left the college football world in a split with his bombastic Tennessee breakup. The talented QB1 of the Vols didn’t think twice before holding off the spring practice over a contract disagreement. He reportedly felt left behind in terms of the money matters. A multi-million-dollar contract renegotiation request was what he asked for to continue with the Tennessee logo on his jersey. The talks were apparently ongoing, but Nico decided to let them impact his spring appearances. He decided not to appear in the practices unless they gave him what he was looking for. Call it a naïve move or a strategic move-out; Heupel wasn’t ready for the shock. Pay a budding QB1 $4 million and upset your roster construction or let him do? Heupel chose the latter, and here we are. Now, what’s next for the California kid?
Iamaleava hit the portal as one of the most coveted athletes in the group. But there will be little doubt if the big conference powerhouses will ever show an interest in him. Loyalty speaks louder than the stats, after all. So, it’s not rocket science to understand he is not likely to go with schools like Oregon, Georgia, Texas, etc. Can you think about UCLA? Well, make up your mind about that.
NEW: UCLA’s staff has informed the quarterback room that Tennessee transfer QB Nico Iamaleava is expected to join the program, ESPN reports
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“The UCLA staff has informed the team’s current quarterbacks of the expected transfer of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava to UCLA,” Pete Thamel reported on Sunday afternoon. “This is a key step that shows the discussions between UCLA and Iamaleava are significant. A formal decision is expected in near future.” Iamaleava’s father, Nick, however, avoided a request for any comment on that.
Details of Iamaleava’s NIL deal with UCLA have also been up in the air. But as far as the rumors go, many schools seem to back off their interest in the former Vols QB because of the high price tag. We will keep our eyes open to pick up any update on the potential UCLA-Iamaleava tie.
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