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Former Vols QB Nico Iamaleava appears to send a new message about his time at Tennessee

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 10:54 PM ET

Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava appeared to send a sentimental message on Sunday about his time on Rocky Top.

Iamaleava left Tennessee near the end of spring practice. The former five-star recruit transferred to UCLA shortly after leaving UT.

On Sunday evening, Iamaleava re-posted a video about his time at Tennessee with the caption, "gon[na] miss my real ones".

Via A To Z Sports

Here's the original TikTok video that Iamaleava reposted. The video basically shows some of the high points of Iamaleava's time with the Volunteers.

@asset.prodz
Journey of Nico #ncaafootball #ncaa #fyp #nicoiamaleava #morganwallen #cfb #footballedit #7summersago #tennessee #tennesseefootball #trending #edit #collegefootball
♬ original sound - doubs.prodz87

It seems clear that Iamaleava truly enjoyed his time in Knoxville, despite the way things unexpectedly ended.

I know plenty of Vols fans aren't happy with the way Iamaleava left Tennessee, but ultimately, that's just the state of college football in 2025. Young players, who are still developing as players and people, are making decisions that athletes have never been expected to make before. Unless you've been in those shoes, it's a hard thing to understand.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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