Just days after reports linked Nico Iamaleava to UCLA as one of his few remaining options in the transfer portal, a new report from On3 says the two sides are already clashing behind the scenes—and money appears to be at the center of it all.
According to Pete Nakos of On3, UCLA is “holding strong” on their offer to the former Tennessee quarterback, and that offer is “significantly less than $4 million.”
That’s notable because $4 million is the number that’s followed Iamaleava around since the day he hit the portal. It’s the amount he was reportedly seeking from Tennessee before things fell apart, and now it’s the price tag that seems to be scaring off suitors.
NEW: UCLA is holding strong on its offer to Nico Iamaleava, which is significantly less than $4M, @PeteNakos_ reports.
— On3 (@On3sports) April 16, 2025
The relationship between UCLA & Iamaleava’s camp is unique after Nico's brother flipped from the Bruins to Arkansas on signing day.https://t.co/0XZLOqxI8j pic.twitter.com/SmzZMMbFaT
UCLA might’ve looked like a natural destination. Nico’s a California native. And after a rocky exit from Knoxville, this could’ve been a reset for Iamaleava. But nope—things are already complicated.
There's some baggage here. Iamaleava’s brother, once a UCLA commit, flipped to Arkansas on signing day. That reportedly left some bruised feelings within the program, and it’s clear that the dynamic between Nico’s camp and UCLA’s staff isn’t exactly warm and fuzzy right now.
A lower NIL valuation, and a team that’s not exactly stacked with talent, and you start to understand why this isn’t going as smoothly as Nico's camp might have wanted. UCLA may have been willing to talk, but they’re not going to blow up their system or bank account to make it happen.
This just adds to the ongoing narrative that Nico Iamaleava overplayed his hand. When he left Tennessee, it was assumed he'd have his pick of schools. But UNC backed off. Tulane cooled quickly. And now even UCLA—the school that seemed like the cleanest fit—won’t budge on a deal that’s far below the $4 million his camp hoped for.
The reality is that the longer this drags out, the tougher it gets for Iamaleava. It's clear at this point that he isn't going to get anywhere near the NIL deal that his camp tried to hold Tennessee up for, and interestingly enough, he might even end up getting less than his original deal and end up in a worse spot in terms of team, as well.