The UCLA Bruins are welcoming the former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava into their program ahead of the 2025 NCAA season. Following the dramatic plot twist that concluded with Iamaleava’s transfer, UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster made a bold confession about the financial side of the young quarterback’s decision.
College football has undergone a dramatic transformation with the rise of NIL and endorsement deals, turning the transfer portal into a major force that increasingly blurs the line between collegiate and professional athletics.
After last season’s success with the Volunteers, it appeared Iamaleava was just writing his first chapters in the UT’s history books. However, contract negotiations stalled, and what was brewing in Knoxville reached a sudden, irrecoverable halt.
As the drama surrounding Iamaleava hasn’t cooled off yet, UCLA coach, Foster, issued a strong statement that raised many eyebrows as he made something clear about the impact of the monetary side in the QB’s new deal with the Bruins.
“I don’t think the money played a role in somebody staying or going,” DeShaun Foster stated about Iamaleava’s transfer, per On3.
New QB room
The Bruins are coming off a disappointing NCAA campaign, after failing to clinch a bowl game appearance. With Iamaleava’s addition to their roster, UCLA has now found their starting quarterback for the upcoming season.
In response to Iamalaeva’s arrival, Joey Aguilar who had just transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA, entered the transfer portal, where he’s headed for Tennessee.
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Essentially, UCLA and Tennessee completed a QB-for-QB trade in college football. Moreover, the Bruins are looking to bring in Nico’s brother, Madden Iamaleava, who will join the quarterback room as well.