UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava and his departure from Tennessee was one of the biggest stories of the offseason. Iamaleava was expected to help the Volunteers take the next step into national title contention next season but instead opted to transfer to UCLA following an NIL contract dispute. The details of how the relationship between Tennessee and Iamaleava fell apart were unclear at the time.
While there is still a lot that fans do not know, analyst Kerb Herbstreit shared more about what happened in an appearance on “Try That In a Small Town” last week. According to his sources, Iamaleava’s dad went to Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel in December and made demands about getting his son more help on the offensive line and at the wide receiver position.
On Tuesday, analyst Aaron Torres discussed the growing story around Iamaleava. Specifically, he criticized his father for bringing “unwanted attention” to Iamaleava, which led to his exit from Tennessee.
“This is, by the way, why you need a real agent,” Torres said (5:35). “I think Nico has since gotten one. But this was a conversation in April, of like, this is what happens when you have your buddy and your dad handling things. There are professional ways to handle things. Nico and his camp did not. Beyond that, let me say this: if that was the argument, two things, one, it’s idiotic. And two, it was handled again in the worst way possible.”
Torres went on to explain that Tennessee got help in the offseason that would have helped to relieve the pressure from Iamaleava. Specifically, the team went out and got help for the offensive line, even signing one of the top offensive tackle recruits in the nation, David Sanders Jr.
Nico Iamaleava Is Now In a More Challenging Position at UCLA
Nico Iamaleava’s father likely went to Josh Heupel, assuming his son had more leverage than he did. He made demands, assuming the coaching staff would cave and do what they needed to keep Iamaleava and his camp happy. That did not happen, the relationship between the team and player soured, and now Iamaleava is at UCLA.
While UCLA is still a well-respected program, it does not have the prestige of Tennessee. The Volunteers are a winning program nearly every year in the SEC. Conversely, UCLA has struggled in recent years. This past season, during their first season in the Big Ten, the Bruins finished 5-7. So, by allowing his father to make demands, Nico Iamaleava now finds himself with a worse supporting cast.
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