Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) stands at the line of scrimmage before a play agianst Alabama at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. Saul Young / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nico Iamaleava Officially Announces Commitment to UCLA

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Jonathan Williams | Last updated Apr 20, 2025 5:38 PM ET

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava has officially committed to UCLA.

It was announced last week that it was very likely that Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava was going to transfer to UCLA, but nothing had been made official. On Sunday, Iamaleava's move to the West Coast was made official, first reported by ESPN.

This has been the biggest news of the entire college football offseason. This comes after Tennessee and Josh Heupel announced they were moving on from the former five-star amidst contract negotiations and him skipping practice on Friday.

Sources: The UCLA staff has informed the team’s current quarterbacks of the expected transfer of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava to UCLA. This is a key step that shows the discussions between UCLA and Iamaleava are significant. A formal decision is expected in near future. pic.twitter.com/NEZIG224Ce
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 20, 2025

The spring transfer portal window officially opened on Wednesday, but before that even happened, multiple teams have made it known they are not interested in the SEC signal caller. North Carolina and Tulane both have reportedly stepped out of the recruitment of Iamaleava.

UCLA however did not back out of the recruitment and has landed the former five-star, but not for the $4-million price tag he was asking for at Tennessee.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Volunteers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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