Nico Iamaleava is transferring to UCLA, according to a report Wednesday from The Athletic.
The former Tennessee signal-caller entered the portal on Wednesday, the first day the spring window opened, with a "do not contact" tag. The report from The Athletic confirms a tweet from Colin Cowherd, who added that Iamaleava wasn't a-leavin' from Tennessee due to money, but instead due to the offense.
That reasoning insults the intelligence of everyone who hears it. If a quarterback is upset about the scheme, of course the natural time to leave would be the day before the spring game, not after the season ended back on Dec. 21. Tennessee's scheme is the same in April as it was last season -- and as it was when Iamaleava signed with Tennessee two years ago.
I am told — moments ago — Nico Iamaleava is going to UCLA. Family still claims it’s NOT about the 💰It’s about the @Vol_Football offense. I was not told what the Bruins are paying.
— Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd) April 16, 2025
On that front, a family source told Front Office Sports it was "bullshit" that Iamaleava left over money, and instead wanted assurances about adding offensive linemen and receivers.
So, it was either the scheme, which was never changing, or the personnel, which was days away from possibly improving.
Iamaleava will now join a UCLA offense headed by first-time offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri, who came to Westwood this winter from Indiana. It's a homecoming for the Downey, Calif., and also a likely massive pay cut; cost of living is 72 percent higher in LA than Knoxville.