By Mallory Mattingly
Former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava announced on social media his decision to leave the Volunteers and transfer to UCLA to continue his academic and football career.
In his post on Instagram, Iamaleava first credited God for the opportunity to play at Tennessee and praised His grace and blessings.
“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,” the quarterback began.
“To the amazing people in Knoxville, thank you for embracing and uplifting me throughout my time there,” he continued. “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.”
Iamaleava added: “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!”
According to ESPN, on Sunday, sources told the other UCLA quarterbacks of a new transfer from Tennessee making his way into the program. As Iamaleava was the top player in the NCAA transfer portal, UCLA looked to secure his decision as soon as possible.
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“We’ll see if it gets worked out,” a source from UCLA told ESPN. “He’s extremely talented with starting experience against elite competition. That’s sort of where we are right now.”
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel thanked Iamaleava for his time at UT and told ESPN after the quarterback’s transfer, “No one is ever bigger than the program. That includes me, too.”
Iamaleava is headed back to his hometown of Long Beach, California. He was a five-star prospect and was initially recruited by the Bruins in high school, per Fox News Digital.
During his time with Tennessee, Iamaleava threw for a total of 2,616 yards and had 19 touchdowns on the season. Tennessee played in the College Football Championships but would ultimately lose to Ohio State, who would go on to win the championship.
Although his time at UT has come to an end, Iamaleava is grateful for all of the opportunities and people he met in Tennessee. He’s looking ahead to improving his play at UCLA and helping them win a National Championship.
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