Nico Iamaleava transfer: UCLA informs QB room of expected commitment

After The Athletic reported his expected decision, it is now official. UCLA has informed its quarterback room about the expected commitment of Tennessee transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava .

Iamaleava officially entered the transfer portal Wednesday with a “do not contact” tag, and FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd reported a commitment to UCLA was a “done deal” later in the day. The decision comes after an NIL dispute last week after On3’s Pete Nakos reported “active negotiations” between Iamaleava and Tennessee prior to the Volunteers’ spring game.

Iamaleava then missed practice the next day, and Vols coach Josh Heupel announced the two sides would be parting ways. That meant Iamaleava would enter the portal, and he did so on the first day of the spring window. He then became the No. 2-ranked transfer so far this cycle, according to the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings.

“Listen, it’s the state of college football,” Heupel told Brent Hubbs on The Vol Network radio broadcast. “At the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program. That includes me, too. We’ve got an opportunity. We’ve got a bunch of guys that will give their all for Tennessee. We move forward. Got a great group. Let’s go compete.”

Iamaleava began his career as Joe Milton’s primary backup before taking over as Tennessee’s starting quarterback in 2024. He threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore and it appeared as if he’d get ready to take a leap forward in 2025. He made his first career start in the Citrus Bowl to end the 2023 season, completing 12 of 19 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown while also adding 27 rushing yards and three scores on the ground.

Iamaleava, a Long Beach native, played high school football at Downey (Calif.) Warren, where he was a five-star prospect and the No. 6 overall player from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was also the No. 1 overall player in the On300 Rankings.

Iamaleava also came onto the college football scene as one of the highest-profile recruits in the country. He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $2.1 million, which ranks No. 23 in the On3 NIL 100 – the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation. That figure also ranks No. 18 in the college football NIL rankings.

As a result of his NIL potential, Nico Iamaleava’s recruitment made national headlines. Notably, The Athletic reported he signed an NIL deal with Spyre Sports Group that could be worth $8 million over three years, marking a seminal moment in the NIL era. The group ranked No. 2 in On3’s Top NIL collectives in college football ahead of the 2024 season.