There was no move made in college football over the last few months as shocking as this one. When Nico Iamaleava openly abdicated his Tennessee Volunteers starting quarterback throne to go play some ball for DeShaun Foster's run-first UCLA Bruins, it did not make any sense. Yes, Iamaleava hails from Southern California, but he lost out on more than just financial opportunities by leaving the Vols.
He went from a College Football Playoff team to one that did not qualify for a bowl game in the Big Ten. Iamaleava lossed more than half of his expected NIL payment amount from the Vols. Of course, there was always something else bubbling below the surface as to why he transferred after spring practice. ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit offered some interesting intel on the matter.
Here is what Herbstreit said about Iamaleava's decision while appearing on Try That in a Small Town.
“Some people thought it was about money. I’ve heard from close sources it was more about Nico’s dad going to Josh (Heupel), back in December before they played Ohio State, like, hey, listen, you’ve got to get better at offensive line, better at receiver."
Since when has UCLA had better offensive linemen and skill position players over Tennessee?
“You’ve got to get better around him if you want us to stick around – which blows my mind that a college quarterback’s dad would do that to a head coach. And I think, at the end of the day, when they got into spring ball, it was still more of, you haven’t brought people in to make him and this offense better.”
While Herbstreit said it may not have been about the money, daddy ball is sadly getting in the way.
“I don’t think it was necessarily about the money. I think it was more about, is Nico going to be able to play well enough to eventually be a first pick in the draft with the players that they had around him?”
If Iamaleava thinks he is a future No. 1 overall pick out of UCLA, then Troy Aikman has been cloned!
“That’s disgusting to me if that’s true. I wouldn’t expect Drake Maye to go to Mike Vrabel, or Drake Maye’s dad to go to Mike Vrabel, in the NFL and say, hey, listen, you guys are doing a s**t job. Think about that. In the NFL, you wouldn’t do that. And, a college parent is doing that?”
Here is Herbstreit's entire conversation from his appearance on Try That in a Small Town podcast.
If we want to kick all delusions to the curb, what are reasonable expectations for Iamaleava at UCLA?
Nico Iamaleava is not going to play with better football talent at UCLA
As far as what reasonable expectations are concerned, Iamaleava is talented enough to help UCLA go from a 5-7 team a season ago a under new head coach to something around 7-5 and make a bowl game. If Iamaleava is really that special, the Bruins could be as good as 8-4 in a best-case scenario. He should not turn pro after this season. If he balls out at UCLA in 2026, maybe he is a first-rounder?
While I think his stock could improve by elevating the talent around him, there are several other quarterbacks I would take over him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. I fully expect Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik and Garrett Nussmeier to turn pro after this season. If they stay in school, I would take LaNorris Sellers, Sam Leavitt, Fernando Mendoza and even John Mateer all over him.
As you can see, I did not mention the Arch Manning of it all. If he is all that and a bag of chips for Texas this year and next, he probably goes ahead of Iamaleava in the 2027 NFL Draft. Let's not forget what other promising quarterbacks like DJ Lagway and Austin Simmons could become. Last fall, I sort of joked that Iamaleava is the next D.J. Uiagalelei. With overbearing fathers and all, do you see it now?
I am not down on Iamaleava as a potential prospect as much as I may seem. While I do have my concerns about the gimmicky Air Raid nature of Josh Heupel's offense, is going to something potentially more pro style at UCLA really the best thing for him? Leaving a college football blue-blood after its best season in two decades is a bit rich for my taste. For now, he will play in the Rose Bowl.
Playing home games in the Rose Bowl and actually playing in the Rose Bowl are two different things.