The watch for the place former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava performs subsequent in his collegiate profession continued Wednesday because the spring switch portal opened up.
UCLA is among the many faculties occupied with Iamaleava, however not for practically the cash he was asking for from Tennessee, sources advised ESPN. The supply stated UCLA is content material to “sit tight” whereas Iamaleava considers his choices.
“We’ll see if it will get labored out. He is extraordinarily proficient with beginning expertise in opposition to elite competitors. That is sorta the place we’re proper now,” a UCLA supply advised ESPN.
Sources advised ESPN that Iamaleava needed not less than $4 million from Tennessee and that what UCLA is ready to supply him is not remotely near that determine. Iamaleava was incomes $2.4 million at Tennessee beneath the contract he signed with Spyre Sports activities Group, the Tennessee-based collective, when he was nonetheless in highschool. It is a deal that will have paid him within the $10 million vary had he stayed 4 years at Tennessee.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel introduced final Saturday after the Volunteers’ spring recreation that this system was shifting ahead with out Iamaleava after he missed follow and conferences Friday and did not alert anyone on the crew or return any calls or textual content messages afterward.
Heupel thanked Iamaleava and referred to as the scenario unlucky, however added, “There is not any one greater than the Energy T, and that features me.”
Iamaleava, a rising redshirt sophomore, formally entered the switch portal on Wednesday with a don’t contact tag. He referred to as Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle later Friday to inform him he was getting into the portal however did not correspond with Heupel.
Sources advised ESPN that Iamaleava’s representatives requested to redo his deal simply earlier than the shut of the winter portal again in December after Tennessee’s playoff loss to Ohio State, however his deal was unchanged and Iamaleava didn’t enter the winter portal. His father, Nic Iamaleava, additionally needed Tennessee to encompass his son with higher receivers and a simpler offensive line in cross safety.
Previous to the beginning of spring follow this yr, Iamaleava’s representatives reached out to Oregon gauging its curiosity in Iamaleava, however Oregon stated it wasn’t , sources advised ESPN, and Oregon then notified Tennessee that Iamaleava was being shopped to the Geese.
Iamaleava, a five-star prospect from Lengthy Seaside, California, was recruited by UCLA out of highschool, and his youthful brother, Madden Iamaleava, dedicated to UCLA out of highschool, however modified his dedication on the final minute and signed with Arkansas.
With Iamaleava a chance at UCLA, sources advised ESPN that representatives for the Bruins’ present quarterback, Joey Aguilar, have been overlaying their bases and making calls to different faculties to gauge their curiosity in Aguilar, who transferred from Appalachian State this offseason and exited spring follow as UCLA’s probably starter.
A Energy 4 common supervisor advised ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Max Olson earlier this week that he thought Iamaleava has “zero market,” and added that it might be an “attention-grabbing check of how sensible and disciplined faculties are in taking a look at him.”
Iamaleava helped information Tennessee to the School Soccer Playoff final season in his first yr as a starter. He handed for two,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, however in 9 video games in opposition to SEC opponents and Ohio State within the playoff, he handed for greater than 200 yards simply twice.