Report: Arkansas QB Madden Iamaleava plans to enter NCAA transfer portal

Arkansas QB Madden Iamaleava plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. He is the younger brother of Nico Iamaleava.

Madden Iamaleava is an incoming freshman, who was originally committed to his home state UCLA Bruins. However, On3’s Steve Wiltfong reported that he flipped to the Razorbacks in Decemeber. After spending a spring in Fayetteville, he has decided to move on from the program.

His decision to transfer comes shortly after his brother made headlines for making the same decision. Nico Iamaleava entered the portal after reported disputes over NIL earnings, and has since reportedly committed to UCLA. It remains to be seen if his brother follows suit by moving back to his home state, or if Madden Iamaleava is simply looking to find the right fit for him under center.

Before college, Madden Iamaleava was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, per the On3 Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 377 overall recruit in the 2025 recruiting class, as well as the No. 24 player at his position.

The transfer portal wire provides a real-time feed of player activity, including basic player profile information, transfer portal ranking and original On3 Industry recruiting ranking, as well as NIL valuation (name, image and likeness).

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

ESPN’s Heather Dinich on Nico Iamaleava exit at Tennessee: ‘There are no winners’

ESPN’s Heather Dinich claimed there were no winners in the Nico Iamaleava and Tennessee situation. He and his representatives played hard ball, but it backfired and resulted in his departure from the program.

Now, whether he gets his desired figure is anyone’s guess. On3’s Pete Nakos reported UCLA, Tulane and North Carolina were initially in on Iamaleava’s services in the transfer portal.

However, the Tar Heels are out, leaving the aforementioned other two schools as the likely suitors for the former five-star prospect. So while there are no winners right now, the end of the story can be vastly different, depending upon the outcome.

“There are no winners in this and how it impacts the future depends on how this story ends,” Dinich said on Get Up. “Watch what happens in the portal with Nico Iamaleava. Does he eventually wind up getting the money that he wants? Because if he does, he might wind up looking like a hero to other players. If he doesn’t, this is a cautionary tale.”