Remember when April used to be chill? Yeah, scratch that. April 12 flipped college football on its head like it was beefing with gravity. Nico Iamaleava woke up and chose chaos. Man dipped on the Vols over an NIL standoff, hit the portal like he was dodging taxes, and then slid straight into UCLA like it was a TikTok transition. Tennessee fans felt blindsided, UCLA fans confused, and the rest of us? Just passing the popcorn and waiting for tea. And now, college football insider Josh Pate just aired out what the Bruins’ 2025 future really looks like… and let’s just say it isn’t sweet.

So, on April 12, Nico pulls the plug on Tennessee. Cool cat wanted a restructured NIL bag, reportedly worth $4 million a year. Tennessee said nah. Nico bounced. No tweets, no drama, just portal-vanished. Within a week, man resurfaces at UCLA. But here’s the kicker: he didn’t even get that $4 million he was asking for. Nico left a $2.4 million deal in the dust hoping the Cali sun would shine brighter, but turns out the grass was just… slightly less orange and tax higher.

On April 22, Josh Pate, Mr. Straight Shooter himself, hopped onto his Josh Pate’s college football show with a ‘Don’t trip, Vols fans. UCLA finna be cheeks regardless.’ Josh kept it blunt: “I think UCLA is going to be bad with or without Nico [Iamaleava] this year. Their over-under win total, I think, went up to five and a half with Nico on board.” Translation? Man basically said Nico isn’t moving the needle like he thinks. He even dropped the over-under line: 5.5 wins. That’s the kinda line that makes you double-check your schedule and pray for some MAC-level cupcakes. But nah, this is Big Ten now. Ain’t no easy fades.

Let’s be honest. UCLA was already in the mud last year. 5-7 overall, 3-6 in Big Ten play. Sure, they had some decent wins—clapped Nebraska, caught Iowa slipping, and handled Fresno. But let’s not forget them beatdowns from USC and Washington that exposed them like a fake designer. 5-7 isn’t a death sentence, but it sure isn’t what Nico Iamaleava would settle for.

Now throw Nico into that chaos. On paper, sure, he threw 2,616 yards, 19 TDs last year and just 5 picks. And also helped Tennessee snag a 10-3 record and even a CFP push. Looks cool, right? Wrong! Over 40% of his TDs came against stat-pad-friendly teams like Vandy and UTEP. And the Playoff? Boy, Vol’s defense literally carried Nico and his overthrows into the playoffs. Let’s not get it twisted: that Vols system is not UCLA. Nico just traded in a Playoff-ready whip for a barely winning season.

And get this—UCLA’s 2025 schedule is straight violence. Utah, Penn State, Michigan State, Ohio State, USC, and hopefully Nebraska? That’s not a schedule, that’s a hit list. Best-case? They scrape 6-8 wins. Worst-case? The Bruins look like background dancers in someone else’s highlight tape. No wonder why Josh Pate ain’t buying the hype.

And while Nico was packing his bags, Tennessee pulled a sneaky one and snagged a fresh App State transfer from UCLA for a deal that’s supposedly millions cheaper. According to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, the Vols’ new QB plan is saving them 7 figures. Imagine getting your dream car for half off and the old one crashed itself outta the driveway. Tennessee really finessed the whole thing.

UCLA HC DeShaun Foster keeps it real about Nico Iamaleava’s 7-figure move

Coach DeShaun Foster ain’t duckin’ the smoke. He stepped to the mic after spring practice and looked at the flood of reporters like, ‘Y’all weren’t showing up like this before.’ He cracked a smile and said, “So this is a good buzz for us.”

Foster’s not blind. He knows adding Nico brought cameras, clout, and controversy. But he’s also keeping it grounded. “He still gotta finish his classes before he officially joins us,” Foster said, keeping it 100 about Nico’s delayed arrival. “A player that wanted to come home and be closer to his family,” Foster said. “I think family played a huge role and then being able to come back to California played a big role, too.” Translation: Nico was homesick and fed up with the NIL games in Knoxville.

Look, nobody’s spilling exact figures, but it’s public knowledge: Nico definitely didn’t get more than he had at Tennessee. Word on the street: Around $1.75 million figure. Let’s not forget: Cali taxes are going to eat a good amount of Nico’s money. Ross Dellenger from Yahoo said that UCLA’s deal isn’t matching the Vols’ bag. Meanwhile, Tennessee’s new QB, Joey Aguilar? He’s clocking in at seven figures less than what Nico was asking. That’s called financial pivoting, folks.

Coach Foster didn’t dance around the money part either. “I don’t know what he was looking for or whatnot,” he said. “I know that he accepted our contract and he wants to be a Bruin, so that’s all I’m focused on.” He even gave props to their NIL squad, “Bruins for Life,” for making the whole deal possible. Said, “I haven’t lost anybody this portal to money. We’ve been able to actually offer people the same amount or even more than what other people have offered them.”

But trending doesn’t mean winning. Nico might’ve brought the smoke, but can he bring dubs? UCLA’s still low-key thin on offensive consistency, their O-line ain’t proven, and that gauntlet of a schedule is gonna test Nico’s hype like a lie detector test on The Moment of Truth Show. So yeah, Tennessee Vols didn’t fold. They also got a QB for cheaper, saved millions, and might’ve just ducked a storm. Meanwhile, UCLA grabbed the headlines—but might be walking into a buzzsaw with a guy who left his last team over a bag he didn’t even secure.

That’s College football, folks. The wildest soap opera on TV.