Nico Iamleava left the college football world in a split with his bombastic Tennessee breakup. The talented QB1 of the Vols didn’t think twice before holding off the spring practice over a contract disagreement. He reportedly felt left behind in terms of the money matters. A multi-million-dollar contract renegotiation request was what he asked for to continue with the Tennessee logo on his jersey. The talks were apparently ongoing, but Nico decided to let them impact his spring appearances. He decided not to appear in the practices unless they gave him what he was looking for. Call it a naïve move or a strategic move-out; Heupel wasn’t ready for the shock. Pay a budding QB1 $4 million and upset your roster construction, or let him do? Heupel chose the latter, and here we are. Now, what’s next for the California kid?

Iamaleava hit the portal as one of the most coveted athletes in the group. But there will be little doubt if the big conference powerhouses will ever show an interest in him. Loyalty speaks louder than the stats, after all. So, it’s not rocket science to understand he is not likely to go with schools like Oregon, Georgia, Texas, etc. Can you think about UCLA? Well, make up your mind about that.

“The UCLA staff has informed the team’s current quarterbacks of the expected transfer of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava to UCLA,” Pete Thamel reported on Sunday afternoon. “This is a key step that shows the discussions between UCLA and Iamaleava are significant. A formal decision is expected in the near future.” Iamaleava’s father, Nick, however, avoided a request for any comment on that.

Details of Iamaleava’s NIL deal with UCLA have also been up in the air. But as far as the rumors go, many schools seem to back off their interest in the former Vols QB because of the high price tag. We will keep our eyes open to pick up any updates on the potential UCLA-Iamaleava tie.

No matter how Nico ends up with UCLA or any other team, the scar he left on the course of college football seemed to come off as a rude awakening to the veterans.

College football veterans bashed the NCAA over the NIL incorporation 

Remember when Nick Saban warned about the brutal ramifications of the NIL back in 2022! He added to the same after the Nico disaster, which left Knoxville with a lot of drama. Saban warned how the players will eventually start to value the money over the character building, loyalty, and ethics, and that’s exactly how it turned out. The former veteran Alabama coach highlighted a nasty annual trend of a menacing NCAA practice. “The first year we had name, image, and likeness four, five years ago, we had a $3 million [roster], and everybody was happy. Then the next year it was $7 million, then the next year it’s $10 million,” he dropped a stat that’s worth losing sleep to.

But it’s not just Saban. A flurry of veteran coaches and players echoed the same sentiment after Heupel took a bold call on Iamaleava.  Micah Parsons, the Dallas Cowboys linebacker, vented his frustration over social media after Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava held out practice. “College football is a joke now! Y’all mind, well, just make college into a semi-pro league! Actually, hold players accountable to the contracts they sign!” he tweeted.

“Nah, college was never about money! College is bout building character! I am the man I am today because of the brotherhood and the amazing coaches I’ve had during my time at Penn State! We are failing kids now because life isn’t easy, and we are allowing them to quit!,” The Dallas guy didn’t hold back, slapping the NCAA over a slow, poisonous NIL norm. It will be intrusively stimulating to see where things go in the long run.