All for Tennessee
Fansided

College insider puts Nico Iamaleava on blast for awful decision to leave Tennessee

Yup, we could have offered up this take too.
ByBraulio Perez|
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) warms up before the game against the New Mexico Lobos at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) warms up before the game against the New Mexico Lobos at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Things are going from bad to worse for former Tennessee football quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Him leaving Knoxville proves to be one of the worst decisions perhaps in the history of the transfer portal - it's certainly among the worst five.

Folllowing a loss to Northwestern last week, UCLA is now 0-4 on the year. Head coach DeShaun Foster, who was the main catalyst in bringing in Nico, was fired from his job last month. Then after the most recent loss, offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri was also let go.

Tennessee WR Chris Brazzel II drawing praise from Joey Aguilar amid breakout season

Meanwhile back at Tennessee, the Vols are 4-1 on the year, ranked the No. 15 team in the country and the offense has been downright explosive. Because of this, On3's Chris Low didn't hesitate in giving Iamaleava a September award, but for the 'worst cross-country move' out there:

Things are going from bad to worse for Nico Iamalevava with UCLA football

We know Vols fans have heard this before, but Iamaleava had it made in Knoxville and his decision to leave town was a head-scratcher. His camp tried to convince everyone that this was all about the Tennessee offense not being a good fit for him.

Iamaleava himself claimed this was all about him wanting to play closer to home in California and that money didn't have a single thing to do with his decision, though reports surfaced stating he was looking for an improved NIL deal from the Vols.

A new offer never arrived and Josh Heupel ultimately decided to part ways and look toward the future without the former 5-star signee. Things have worked out pretty well for Tennessee, as it has been the clear winner of the 'QB trade' that went down.

Joey Aguilar has thrown for 1,459 yards and 13 interceptions, with five interceptions being a bit of a concern. However, no one can argue that Aguilar has looked like one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC to start off the 2025 campaign.

Iamaleava on the other hand has struggled getting into a rhythm now that he's playing in the Big Ten. He has thrown for 788 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions in his first four starts with UCLA. With Foster and Sunseri both getting canned, there's already speculation too that Iamaleava could end up in the transfer portal again down the road. If that happens, it will be further proof that bailing on Tennessee was the biggest mistake he could have made for his college career.

Home/Vols Football