He hasn't even played in a game following his decision to leave the Tennessee football team, but the expectations continue to skyrocket for Nico Iamaleava. Now that he's with UCLA, everyone is expecting him to have a big year in the Big Ten, with the team over at On3 also on the list.
On Tuesday, the publication came out with its rankings for the top spring transfer moves and to no surprise, Iamaleava is No. 1. He's obviously not the only star player on the move, but it sure is telling that he's at the top. This is yet another reason for Tennessee fans to be a bit bummed out that Nico won't be in Knoxville this fall:
QB Nico Iamaleava has been named the top transfer player from this spring
Per the On3 rankings, Iamaleava is the No. 2 overall transfer for the 2025 class, sitting right behind Carson Beck, who has made the move from Athens to Miami. John Mateer is the No. 3 transfer, with the QB now set to make plays for Oklahoma after putting on a show for Washington State in 2024.
Iamaleava wrapped up his first full season as the starter for the Vols, showcasing a ton of potential in helping Tennessee win 10 games. Not only that, but Iamaleava played a big role in UT reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time ever.
Moving forward, the expetation is that UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar will be the one to end up running the offense moving forward. He's going to be in a fall camp battle with Jake Merklinger, but with his starting experience for App State, the veteran QB should be in line to impress with the SEC side.
As for Iamaleava, the pressure is going to be on for him to deliver for the Bruins, especially after all the drama that surrounded him this offseason. Tennessee supporters are ready to move forward without him around, but as we've said before, not having him in town is going to sting quite a bit for Josh Heupel and his offense.