LAS VEGAS — In his first public comments since his tumultuous transfer from Tennessee to UCLA in April, Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava said Thursday the decision to leave the Volunteers was “one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make.”
“My driving factor to come back home was my family, and I hope every Tennessee fan understands that,” Iamaleava said at Big Ten media days. “It was just a lot of drama, but man, I’m excited to be at UCLA.”
Iamaleava made multiple references to “false reports” about him while at Tennessee that centered on him and his representation wanting higher NIL compensation. The Long Beach, California, native remained steadfast that the main motivation for his move was not money but proximity to family. He said the reports made him feel “not comfortable in the position I was in.”
“I think just the outside world, in general, thinks that it was something that it wasn’t,” Iamaleava told ESPN. “Going back home was always in the back of my head. Just being back closer to my family; [it] took a toll on getting my family to Tennessee. It was just a lot of traveling.”
ESPN reported in April that Iamaleava’s representation had been pushing for his NIL contract — which had previously paid him $2.4 million per year and was set to pay him more than $8 million over his time at Tennessee — to increase to $4 million for 2025. Sources told ESPN that Iamaleava’s camp also reached out to Miami, Ole Miss and Oregon, among others, about transferring after last season ended.
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“I don’t speak on money matters,” Iamaleava said Thursday. “I’m just here for ball and school.”
Amid those NIL contract negotiations, Iamaleava did not show up to a Tennessee spring practice. Shortly after, coach Josh Heupel said the program was “moving on” from Iamaleava.
“I want to thank him for everything he’s done since he’s gotten here, as a recruit and who he was as a player and how he competed inside the building,” Heupel said at the time. “There’s no one that’s bigger than the Power T. That includes me.”
On Thursday, Iamaleava called the events of that week “crazy” and said the experience was “a lot” for him. After the split, Iamaleava quickly made his decision to transfer to UCLA. Quarterback Joey Aguilar, who had transferred to Westwood from Appalachian State in hopes of becoming the program’s starter, ended up transferring to Tennessee as a result.
“My mindset was going into compete with whoever was in there for the starting spot,” Iamaleava said of Aguilar. “I wish him nothing but the best. I know he’s going to get the best fans out there. Hopefully he gets to experience all the positive things that I experienced.”
Iamaleava redshirted in 2023 and threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns in his first season as a starter in 2024, leading Tennessee to 10 wins and a College Football Playoff appearance that ended in a first-round loss to eventual national champion Ohio State. Iamaleava is set to be the Bruins’ starter this season.
“The expectation is for me to be better,” Iamaleava said. “I got to get better.”
UCLA is coming off a 5-7 record in coach DeShaun Foster’s debut season. Foster said Thursday there was no hesitation about adding Iamaleava to the roster when the opportunity presented itself.
“We’re just excited to have a playoff quarterback,” Foster said. “Just being able to come back home and be comfortable and being in a familiar environment, I think the sky is the limit.”