After transferring out of Knoxville following his NIL holdout, five-star Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is reportedly close to finding his new team.
On Wednesday, FOX Sports 1 's Colin Cowherd broke the news that the UT star was heading back home to play for the UCLA Bruins and The Athletic has since confirmed that that's the direction things are heading in.
"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," the host said on X. "I was not told what the Bruins are paying."
Nothing is official just yet but it's clear the Bruins are making a serious run at the Long Beach native.
Folks from every corner of the college football world have weighed-in on Iamaleava's situation — including former head coach Urban Meyer who claimed the Vols were "screwed" after pushing the young QB out the door.
"Here's the reality: Tennessee is screwed," Meyer said on "The Triple Option" podcast. "They got a problem. You lose a potential high draft pick. You have the backup quarterback left last year and now you have a redshirt freshman that threw nine passes as a freshman. You have zero experience, and the portal opens as we speak. They are going to have to go get one."
"Everybody's saying, 'Nice job Tennessee, making a stand.' I've got a little comment on that," the ex-coach continued. "Tennessee plays Florida usually every year in October. Can you imagine that game's going the other way and coach Heupel grabs the microphone and stands on the 50-yard line in Neyland Stadium and says, 'It's OK, I made a stand way back when.'"
Iamaleava is coming off a season in which he threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns to just five interceptions after backing up Joe Milton III as a freshman.
If UCLA is able to land Iamaleava he would easily be the most dynamic quarterback they've had since Dorian Thompson-Robinson — with even higher upside as a passer.
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