When it comes to recruiting, you probably already know that things can change in a split second. Earlier on Monday, plenty of eyebrows were raised when a crystal ball pick for North Carolina went in for the ACC side to sign Nico Iamaleava. From Knoxville to Chapel Hill?
It'd make sense, as Bill Belichick is in his first season leading the Tar Heels and the team could look to add a player of Nico's caliber. UNC isn't the only school interested in the former Tennessee Vols standout, of course.
According to the updated Vegas odds, UCLA is considered the favorite to ink Iamaleava once the transfer portal opens up. The Bruins have been given +200 odds, while North Carolina is right behind them at +250 - USC and Texas Tech are also high up on the list.
UCLA is considered the favorite to sign former Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava
Funny enough, Colorado rounds out the Top 5 in terms of teams with the strongest odds to bring Iamaleava to town, but Deion Sanders squashed rumors on Sunday night that the Buffs would be interested. If Iamaleava does pick UCLA, it's easy to see why.
For the past two seasons, the SoCal product has been far away from home, but the Bruins and head coach DeShaun Foster would give the signal-caller the opportunity to play in front of his family and friends. Would UCLA put the kind of NIL money Iamaleava and his reps are looking for on the table?
That's the big question here, as the QB is reportedly eyeing around $4 million per season for his next deal. That's a sizable amount of dough and one that not many teams across the country can afford right now. Obviously, Tennessee wasn't going to pay him that much.
Once the portal opens up on Wednesday, it shouldn't take much time for more intel and reports to drop on what Iamaleava is thinking. Don't be surprised if a visit or two is taken before he makes his decision. It also won't be a surprise if any trips are scheduled to either UCLA or UNC before he shuts things down this spring.