LOS ANGELES — Throughout the turmoil surrounding his future status in college football as a quarterback, Nico Iamaleava made a bold decision to leave the Tennessee Vols as their starting quarterback for what he thought were greener pastures.
As he looked back on his time with the Volunteers, the young quarterback expressed deep gratitude for the support he received there as he decided to join the UCLA Bruins this coming season.
“I want to first and foremost thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for His grace, for continuously blessing my family, and for allowing me to live out my passion every single day,” Iamaleava said via his Instagram. “To the wonderful people in Knoxville, thank you for accepting and uplifting me during my time there. The support you showed me throughout means the world to me, and I will forever be grateful, and I will forever hold dear the friendships and memories I made here with my brothers.“
His exit, though, was not without its tribulations. There were reports of him wanting to revisit the NIL deal with Tennessee for a better compensation package. Iamaleava also had questions about how those plans would take the Volunteers’ offense — to which he may have grown uncomfortable — but ultimately, the change of passing game coordinators affected his decision to look elsewhere. He did not make it to a pivotal Friday practice before the Tennessee spring game, and that seemingly marked the breaking point for the instant separation between Tennessee and its head coach, Josh Heupel.
“This was an extremely hard decision, and to be honest, it was not one I expected to make this early,” Iamaleava said. “But I trust in God’s timing, and I know He’s guiding me where I need to be.“
The Long Beach, California, native returns home yet, according to reports, didn’t quite receive the $4 million NIL deal he was seeking. UCLA had substantial leverage in negotiations with the quarterback and his team.
As Iamaleava enters this next phase of his career, the forward-thinking strategies and competitive program are already in place under second-year head coach Deshaun Foster. The team and coaching staff are willing to make room in their system for Iamaleava’s talents.
The rise of a college quarterback like Iamaleava is on a bright new path powered by faith, resilience, and drive.
The interesting part of all of this saga is where Joey Aguilar’s future end up? Especially with him having one more season of eligibility remaining in college football. Aguilar recently participated in the first three weeks of spring practice as what was believed to be the Bruins’ starting quarterback this coming season.
