He took to Instagram to announce his commitment to UCLA.
The Tennessee-Nico Iamaleava saga officially came to a close this weekend. The former Volunteer chose the UCLA Bruins on Sunday, ending a quick stay in the transfer portal after demanding more money from Tennessee. The move backfired on the Iamaleava camp, and the demand on the open market simply wasn’t there.
Nico now takes a pay cut and will be playing on a much less talented roster for his redshirt sophomore season. Iamaleava took to Instagram for his first public comments since choosing to leave Knoxville.
“First and foremost, I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for His grace, for continuing to bless my family, and for allowing me to live out my passion each and every day.
“To the amazing people in Knoxville, thank you for embracing and uplifting me throughout my time there. I’ll be forever thankful for the support you showed me every step of the way and I’ll always cherish the relationships I built there and the memories I created with my brothers. I believe with all my heart that I gave my all as a Volunteer. I’m truly grateful for the time I had at UT.
“My journey at UT has come to an end. This decision was incredibly difficult, and truthfully, not something I expected to make this soon. But I trust God’s timing, and I believe He’s leading me where I need to be. Even though, this chapter is ending, a new chapter has begun and I am committed to UCLA!”
Iamaleava joins the UCLA roster along with Joey Aguilar, who already transferred in from Appalachian State this offseason. He’ll now be tasked with learning a whole new offense post-spring, while Tennessee is left scrambling to find an answer in the transfer portal.
Tennessee currently has former four-star prospects George MacIntyre and Jake Merklinger on the roster. Neither player has any meaningful experience, and Josh Heupel and the staff are working overtime to poach a veteran solution. Expect news on that front at some point this week.