Colin Cowherd: Nico Iamaleava shouldn't have left Tennessee

The 2025 college football season is set to begin and one of the biggest things for fans and analysts alike is getting used to the new faces on new teams. Former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleavea transferring to UCLA is one of the bigger changes to get accustomed to.

While serving as a guest on The Joel Klatt Show, FOX Sports personality Colin Cowherd interrupted to play host for a minute. He wanted to talk about Iamaleava.

“Nico Iamaleava, fascinating. I’ve said pageant mom has become quarterback dad,” Cowherd said. “Like it’s the same thing. You’re squeezing so hard you’re hurting your kid. It’s just off-balance, it’s the parent getting too close.

“He shouldn’t have left Tennessee. They have better players, you’re going to face more NFL bodies in that schedule compared to UCLA’s this year, whatever.”

Nico Iamaleava spent two years with the Volunteers, taking over as the full-time starter last fall. He threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns while rushing for 358 yards and three scores. He led the Volunteers to a College Football Playoff appearance.

Then, when push came to shove over his NIL compensation package with the Volunteers, the two sides hit an impasse. Iamaleava bolted.

“If this kid pops, I mean keep your eye on UCLA’s quarterback, because Tennessee, will he become the cautionary tale of NIL?” Cowherd wondered. “Most players have benefited. Will he be the, ‘Oh, don’t do that.’ Will he be the example of don’t chase? Because he didn’t chase the dollars at UCLA, he said it was family. But at the end the family offended Tennessee and Tennessee said, ‘Stop sign. Out.'”

Nico Iamaleava will have a chance to outplay the concerns. He’s that talented.

“He is good. And he is kind of what the NFL is looking for,” Cowherd said. “And he moves really, really well. I watched Tennessee play a couple times last year and I’m like, ‘This kid’s going to be good. He’s not there (yet).’ Like Drew Allar, by the way, who popped last year, like, ‘Oh, that’s an NFL quarterback.’

“I don’t think he’s going to win a lot of games at UCLA. But if he hits, if you and I go, ‘Yeah, that’s an NFL quarterback,’ we’re going to have (Garrett) Nussmeier, Cade Klubnik, Drew Allar, Arch Manning, maybe the kid at South Carolina, I have to watch him more. I only watched him like once last year.”

The bottom line: Nico Iamaleava could turn out to be one of the most sought-after prospects in the draft. If he is, a lot of questions will be asked about how everything unfolded at Tennessee. But there’s a lot of football to be played before we get there.