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Nico Iamaleava says 'family was the biggest thing' in move from Tennessee to UCLA

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey07/24/25GrantRamey
Nico Iamaleava, UCLA Football
Nico Iamaleava, UCLA Football

Nico Iamaleava claims he left Tennessee and transferred to UCLA to be closer to his family. The Long Beach, Calif., native, addressed his transfer, going from the Vols to the Bruins after spring practice in April, during Big Ten media days Thursday in Las Vegas. 

“My decision to leave was extremely hard,” Iamaleava told reporters. “One of the hardest decisions that I’ve ever had to make. Family was the biggest thing, to me.”

It was initially reported in April that Iamaleava and Tennessee couldn’t come to terms on a new NIL deal following his redshirt freshman season. It has also been reported that Iamaleava’s family wanted Tennessee to surround the quarterback with better talent.

Nico: ‘A lot of things about financial stuff, it was never that’

On Thursday he addressed the storylines that followed his transfer.  

“A lot of things about financial stuff, it was never that,” he said. “It was me getting back home, closer to my family and playing at the highest level with my family’s support. In our Samoan culture, we’re always together. That was a very important thing for me.”

Iamaleava skipped Tennessee’s final spring practice and Josh Heupel told his team the following day that the Vols were moving on from their quarterback.

A homecoming at UCLA was immediately identified and widely reported as a possible landing spot for Iamaleava. North Carolina and Tulane were also said to be interested before backing out.

Tennessee countered by signing Joey Aguilar, the quarterback who spent the last two seasons at Appalachian State before transferring to UCLA. He entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after Iamaleava committed to the Bruins on April 20.

Aguilar threw for 6,760 yards, 56 touchdowns and 24 interceptions and completed 60.1% of his passes in 25 games at Appalachian State.

Nico Iamaleava last season: 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns, 5 interceptions

Iamaleava passed for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions in 13 games last season, his first season as Tennessee’s starter. The Vols went 10-3, ending the season with a 42-17 loss at Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.

He completed 14 of 31 passes for 104 yards in the playoff loss at Ohio Stadium and ran 20 times for 47 yards and two touchdowns.

Iamaleava reiterated Thursday during an appearance on Big Ten Network that the move was about getting back home.

“That was a big factor for me,” he said, “coming back home and being closer to my mom. Just my parents and my family in general. We’re all competing at the highest level at UCLA. Once I got that opportunity, I couldn’t take it for granted.”

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