According to Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd, former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava has found a new home. "The Herd" host reported on X that Nico has committed to UCLA.
Nico and his camp claim his decision to transfer wasn't about the money, despite the rumors that Nico was demanding an NIL raise from around $2.4 million to $4 million. Instead, the issue was Tennessee's fun, explosive offense.
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. I was not told what the Bruins are paying.
— Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd) April 16, 2025
It's not about the money, it's about Tennessee's offense.
Sure, the Tennessee offense is the problem. The offense that has taken college football by storm helped the Vols win 37 games in four years, including an Orange Bowl win, College Football Playoff appearances, and wins over Alabama in two out of the last three years.
Tennessee wasn't sniffing any of those opportunities before Heupel installed his offense on Rocky Top, but that seems to be the excuse the Iamaleavas are going with for now until he can transfer out of UCLA in December.
Since the Vols' offense was the problem, with talent surrounding Nico, a rebuilt offensive line, and a team with College Football Playoff potential, let's see what Nico believes an upgraded offense looks like.
UCLA's offense was a top-125 offense in the country, ranking No. 123 in the country with 18.4 points per game, No. 110 in yards per game, No. 114 in points per play, No. 96 in yards per play, No. 37 in third down conversion and No. 77 in fourth down conversion.
Nico will also take a significant paycut in his transfer as On3 projects his NIL value to be around $1.5 million for the upcoming season.
Volquest's Grant Ramey pointed out on X that Nico might have been the problem last season, not Tennessee's offense, as Nico has been the least productive quarterback since Heupel arrived in Knoxville.
Not only has Nico been the least productive quarterback in Heupel's system at Tennessee, but he has also been Heupel's least productive quarterback dating back to Utah State in 2015 when Kent Myers and Chuckie Keeton led the Aggies offense.
This excuse makes complete sense as the Iamaleava family continues to try to straighten out their story after a disastrous week.
Ultimately, the family can say what they want, but they clearly have made a major mistake in their son's athletic and business careers. Not only will he lose money in his transfer to UCLA, but he's moving to a less productive and explosive offense in a league that prioritizes tough, physical defenses.
The Bruins will hope Nico can help get them over the hump and become bowl eligible in 2025 after going 5-7 last season.