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Tennessee-UCLA QB swap was the 'most NFL trade deadline-esque' move in portal window

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•05/24/25•

GrantRamey

Joey Aguilar Nico Iamaleava UCLA Tennessee Heisman odds
© Reinhold Matay & © Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee Football’s quarterback change last month was not only the biggest story of the spring transfer portal window, it was the “most NFL trade deadline-esque move” to date in the portal, according to ESPN. 

ESPN this week handed out superlative for the spring portal window, with Tennessee and UCLA swapping Nico Iamaleava and Joey Aguilar getting labeled as the most NFL-like move. 

“The story of the spring portal was Nico Iamaleava’s departure from the Tennessee Volunteers,” ESPN’s J.J. Post wrote. “The starting quarterback from the Vols’ 10-3 College Football Playoff campaign decamped in mid-April, setting off a saga that would come to a bizarre conclusion. Iamaleava, a Southern California native, landed with the UCLA Bruins.

“In turn,” Post continued, “Tennessee also hit the portal to find its replacement for Iamaleava. Its solution? None other than Joey Aguilar, a former Appalachian State transfer who was UCLA’s projected starter before Iamaleava arrived. Suddenly, two Power 4 programs had effectively pulled off a concept alien to college sports: a trade.”

Tennessee moved on from Nico Iamaleava after failed NIL contract talks

Tennessee and Iamaleava parted ways in April after talks over a new NIL deal broke down, leading the quarterback to skip the team’s final spring practice and forcing Josh Heupel to move on.

UCLA was immediately identified as a widely reported possible landing spot for Iamaleava, the Long Beach, Calif., native. North Carolina and Tulane were also said to be interested before backing out.

Aguilar, who in December had transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA, left the Bruins after Iamaleava committed to UCLA on April 20. He committed to the Vols not long after and arrived in Knoxville last week. 

Joey Aguilar: 6,760 yards, 56 TDs in two seasons at App State

Aguilar threw for 6,760 yards, 56 touchdowns and 24 interceptions and completed 60.1% of his passes in 25 games at Appalachian State over the last two seasons.

ESPN previously ranked Iamaleava as the fifth-best player to enter then NCAA Transfer Portal during the offseason. 

“This ordeal might have played out perfectly for the Bruins,” ESPN’s Max Olson wrote. “They’re getting a potential top-10 quarterback on a reduced contract who will generate a lot of attention for this program entering coach DeShaun Foster’s second year.

“Iamaleava’s arrival will cost them App State transfer QB Joey Aguilar, who reentered the portal after going through spring practice with the Bruins and landed at Tennessee.”

Iamaleava passed for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions in 13 games last season, his first season as Tennessee’s starter. The Vols went 10-3, ending the season with a 42-17 loss at Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.

He was the No. 1 overall prospect when he committed to and signed with Tennessee in the class of 2023.

“The challenge going forward for Iamaleava,” Olson added, “is learning OC Tino Sunseri’s system and winning over his new teammates this summer, but he’ll certainly be motivated after his split with the Vols.”

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