Nico Iamaleava gets asked about the rumors that he left the Tennessee Vols in part because of concerns about the offensive line

There's been plenty of speculation over the last couple of months about why Nico Iamaleava decided to leave the Tennessee Vols for the UCLA Bruins. 

From NIL to concerns about the offense to wanting to get closer to home, there's been no shortage of rumblings/rumors about Iamaleava's decision. 

One of the popular theories is that Iamaleava's camp was unhappy with the state of the Vols' offensive line. 

Tennessee lost four members of its starting offensive line, a unit that allowed the sixth-most sacks per game in the SEC in 2024.

The Vols added Arizona transfer Wendell Moe and Notre Dame transfer Sam Pendleton to the roster after the 2024 season. Tennessee also signed five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr during the 2025 recruiting cycle. 

At Big Ten Media Days on Thursday, Iamaleava was asked about the rumors that concerns over Tennessee’s offensive line played a role in his decision to enter the transfer portal. 

"I'm not sure where that (offensive line rumors) was from," said Iamaleava. "I loved my O-line last year. I had a great O-line. Lance Heard, Cooper Mays, John Campbell, (Javontez) Spraggins, and Andrej (Karic). I loved all those guys and they were a great O-line." 

There's no doubt that Tennessee's offensive line could've played better last season, and Iamaleava definitely took some hard hits. But it sounds like Iamaleava has a lot of respect for the five guys that were tasked with protecting him last season on Rocky Top.