UCLA and Tennessee have "traded" quarterbacks.
Following Nico Iamaleava's dramatic departure from Tennessee that landed him at UCLA, former Bruin Joey Aguilar plans to sign with the Volunteers, according to ESPN's Chris Low.
The QB trade is complete. Joey Aguilar plans to sign with Tennessee after transferring to UCLA from App. State in the winter portal, sources tell ESPN. He trades places with Nico Iamaleava, who transferred from Tennessee to UCLA in the current portal. Back to business as usual.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) April 21, 2025
A winter transfer from Appalachian State to UCLA, Aguilar looked poised to take over as the Bruins' starter next fall. In two seasons with the Mountaineers, Aguilar completed 511 of 850 passes (60.1 percent) for 6,760 yards, 56 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. Iamaleava left Knoxville having completed 213 of 379 passes (63.8 percent) for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions in his lone season as Tennessee's starter.
The No. 2 overall prospect in the 2023 class, Iamaleava committed to Tennessee in March 2022 after signing an NIL deal with Spyre Sports, Tennessee's collective, that paid him more than $8 million over four years. Entering the final year of his NIL contract, Iamaleava and his representatives were seeking a raise to around $4 million per season, The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported via a source. They also sought assurances that the Volunteers would improve their offensive line and wide receiver corps before the fall.
When Tennessee was unwilling to meet Iamaleava and his representatives' demands, Iamaleava did not appear at the Volunteers' 14th spring practice. He also did not attend Tennessee's spring game the following afternoon.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said April 12 that he elected to move on without Iamaleava when he hadn’t received correspondence from the quarterback or his representatives for more than 24 hours.
Iamaleava officially signed with UCLA on Sunday, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Sources: The UCLA staff has informed the teams current quarterbacks of the expected transfer of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava to UCLA. This is a key step that shows the discussions between UCLA and Iamaleava are significant. A formal decision is expected in near future. pic.twitter.com/NEZIG224Ce
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 20, 2025
"I’ll be forever thankful for the support you showed me every step of the way and I’ll always cherish the relationships I built there and the memories I created with my brothers," Iamaleava told Thamel. "I believe with all my heart that I gave my all as a Volunteer. I’m truly grateful for the time I had at UT. My journey at UT has come to an end. This decision was incredibly difficult, and truthfully, not something I expected to make this soon. But I trust God’s timing, and I believe He’s leading me where I need to be."
UCLA travels to Ohio State to face the Buckeyes on Nov. 15. The last time Iamaleava was in Columbus, Ohio State beat him and the Volunteers 42-17 in the College Football Playoff first round.
