Nico Iamaleava says that transfer to UCLA from Tennessee was about being closer to family, not money
Nico Iamaleava sought to minimize the importance of Nile Money in his transfer to the UCLA during the Big Ten Media Day on Thursday.
The former QB of Tennessee said that he had always wanted to play closer to his home in California and did not feel comfortable after “false reports” had emerged in Tennessee this spring.
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“Just false reports that didn’t make me feel comfortable in the position I was,” said Iamaleava. “But at the back of my head, I always wanted to go home. And be closer to my mother, closer to my father. And you know, I just have my family, their support for our games. In our Samoane culture, we are always together and I think it’s the main thing for me, the driving factor for me to come home.”
In an immediate follow -up on the “false reports” to which Iamaleava referenced, he said that it was an alleged dispute with the school.
“Just false things to find out if it was a financial thing or not,” said Iamaleava. “My driving factor to go home was my family and I hope that each fan of Tennessee understands that. It was really one of the most difficult decisions I had to make. But I had to do what was best for me and my family and, finally, I wanted to get home and be closer to my family.”
Iamaleava attended parts of the Tennessee spring practices in the middle of the reports according to which he sought to redo his name, his image and his resemblance to the school. His father challenged the idea that Aumaleava was looking for more money and the QB entered the transfer portal on April 12.
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While Aumaleava entered the portal, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said after his team’s spring match that “there is no one who is bigger than the Power T. and that includes me”.
The appearance of iamaleava at the media day on Thursday led to its first public comments on its transfer to the UCLA. The old five -star recruit chose the Bruins after his younger brother hired by Arkansas to go to the UCLA.
The transfer of Iamaleava then led to the departure of the UCLA QB Joey Aguilar for Knoxville. The former state of the appearances was transferred to the UCLA earlier in the offseason in order to be the starting QB of the Bruins in 2025. Once Imaleava arrived, Aguilar left for Tennessee because the flights suddenly needed a starting quarter.
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During its only season as a Tennessee starter, Iamaleava succeeded 213 out of 334 for 2,616 yards and 19 touched with only five interceptions. Eleven of these 19 TD passes came in the four non -conference games of Tennessee. He succeeded in eight TD passes and three interceptions on eight dry gam and the playoffs of university football. In the defeat of UT against Ohio State in the first round of the playoffs, he had 14 out of 31 per 104 yards.
