Don’t poke your nose into things that are none of your business. That’s the moral of Nico Iamaleava’s negotiation saga. This NIL drama is going to go down in history as one of the most baffling transfer decisions. The 20-year-old kicked the dust in Knoxville and has officially returned home to UCLA. Yeah, that’s said and done now. The Vols, coming off a $200M revenue year, the best in school history, lost their golden boy. So now it’s a mad dash into the transfer portal to find someone new. And people inside the sport aren’t exactly quiet on who’s to blame. Spoiler alert—it has nothing to do with Josh Heupel.
So, the $4 million demand. That’s what Nico Iamaleava was asking, per ESPN’s Chris Low. And when Tennessee didn’t budget, he didn’t hesitate to enter the portal with a “do not contact” tag. Sus? Maybe his people already had a plan? The family claimed they’re jumping ship not because of the money but because of the Vols’ offense. So if the former 5-star QB joined a blue-collar program, talk would be relatively less. But UCLA?
In a new episode on The Ruffino & Joe Show – Weekly College Football on April 20, Joe DeLeone said what he had to say. “I think that this claim that they’re trying to control the narrative and to say that Nico needed to play somewhere that was going to better prepare him for the NFL is the biggest load of b—-hit that we possibly could’ve heard out of this,” he fired. “We are all not that dumb. Nico’s dad and his representative are trying to act like Tennessee was not going to get him to the NFL.” Nico’s dad has become the talk of the drama for all the wrong reasons.
First, let’s get one thing straight. Nico Iamaleava doesn’t have a typical agent. So what initially circulated is that his dad, Nic, and a family friend, Cordell Landers, were pulling the strings. However, per The Athletic report, “Landers was not directly involved in any of the recent contract talks between Iamaleava and Tennessee’s collective.” As for his dad, insiders believe he’s the driving force behind chasing the bag. He’s denied it, of course, even slammed Pete Nakos, who first broke the news. But honestly, if this is about development for the NFL, this move makes zero sense.
Just look at the numbers. Tennessee had the third-best offense in the SEC in 2024. The Vols averaged 447 yards and 35.7 points per game, ranking second. Nico Iamaleava had 2,616 passing yards, 19 TDs, and just five picks in one of the toughest conferences. That’s NFL prep. UCLA? 328.8 yards per game, ranking 14th in the Big Ten, and 18.3 points per game, going even further down at 16th. And somehow, this is the spot that’s going to launch him to the NFL? Are we missing something? And oh, the upcoming season isn’t about to start on the most promising note for the Bruins.
Is Nico Iamaleava’s NFL future (B)ruined?
Joe DeLeone voiced the problem with Nico Iamaleava’s transfer to UCLA. “DeShaun Foster hasn’t had a single NFL quarterback that he’s been around in his one season as a 5-7 HC for the Bruins,” he said. Yep. DeShaun Foster’s just about to roll into his second year as a head coach after a not-so-promising first year. And there’s also a change in the offensive staff, with Tino Sunseri coming in as a first-time OC and QBs coach. He might have some proven track record with QBs like Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke and James Madison’s Cole Johnson. But still, a huge question mark.
And there are more concerns. UCLA’s top rusher, T.J. Harden is gone. Four of their top five receivers are gone, including J. Michael Sturdivant and Logan Loya. Now if you’re Nico Iamaleava, how does that sound like a step forward? “We’re not this dumb,” DeLeone fumed.
“It is so lame and awful after the crap that they pulled, that they completely scre-ed Nico and ruined his future, that they’re trying to make it seem like the money wasn’t the biggest problem. It clearly was, and they clearly were being incredibly greedy.” So this situation?
It’s definitely not about player development; it was a straight-up calculated play for more cash. Iamaleava was reportedly pulling in somewhere between $2.2 and $2.4 million this year through his NIL deal at Tennessee. But that wasn’t cutting it for him. He was eyeing closer to that $4 million mark, seeing what fellow QBs Darian Mensah and Carson Beck were earning. And just so you know, Nico isn’t getting that $4 million he wanted. Well, who even knows if he’s settling for less than what he was already making at Tennessee?
Maybe he balls out at UCLA and silences everyone. Or maybe we look back and say Tennessee was the place, and his dad talked him out of the NFL track he was already on. But right now? It feels like Nico Iamaleava bet on all the wrong things.
The post National Analyst Blames Nico Iamaleava’s Father and Agent for $200M Program’s Fallout as UCLA Move Threatens His NFL Career appeared first on EssentiallySports.