The news of former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava‘s transfer to UCLA leaked on Wednesday but he is now officially heading back to Southern California.
UCLA’s coaching staff has informed the other quarterbacks on its roster that Iamaleava is expected to transfer and play for the Bruins.
The news was first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Iamaleava later posted the news himself on his Instagram.
Head coach DeShaun Foster and offensive coordination Tino Sunseri have officially landed the No. 1 player in the transfer portal rankings. Iamaleava has three years of eligibility remaining.
In his first full season as Tennessee’s starter, Iamaleava led the Volunteers to the College Football Playoffs and lost to Ohio State in the first round. He threw for 2,617 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. Iamaleava also ran for 475 yards and three more touchdowns.
Iamaleava split with Tennessee the morning before the annual Orange & White spring game on April 12th. He had skipped practice the day before as well. Reasons for the divorce have ranged from Iamaleava requesting a renegotiated NIL deal to Iamaleava and his camp hoping Tennessee would sign a strong group of offensive linemen and receivers in the transfer portal.
Iamaleava was the No. 2 prospect in the 2023 Rivals250, just behind Arch Manning. He led Tennessee to wins over Florida, Oklahoma, and Alabama en route to a 10-3 record last season, his first as a starter.
Stay locked in on the Rivals Transfer Tracker to keep up with the latest transfer news, portal entries, commitments, and rankings. For a deep-dive into the transfer portal, make sure you visit the Rivals Transfer Search page.
The Rivals Transfer Portal X account is a must-follow for any college football fan.
The spring college football transfer portal window is scheduled to open on April 16th, 2025 for 10 days. It is the second transfer window of the 2025 recruiting cycle. The winter college football transfer portal window opened on December 9th, 2024 for 20 days. There was also a five-day window for players to transfer after their team finished postseason play. Additionally, players get a 30-day window to transfer when their head coach leaves.
