Jon Joseph Moderator No. 1 Share Posted Wednesday at 10:41 PM Nico will be balling in the B1G and playing closer to home. Nico Iamaleava transfers to UCLA: How QB's NIL package compares to reported offer at Tennessee WWW.SPORTINGNEWS.COM The former Volunteers quarterback is headed west. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Moderator No. 2 Share Posted Wednesday at 10:45 PM Thamel claims that Iamaleava has "reputational damage" I think now UCLA does too. 1 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 3 Share Posted Wednesday at 11:07 PM The Bruins needed to do something to attract attention... 4 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Ducky No. 4 Share Posted Wednesday at 11:08 PM Train wreck! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuckFan93 No. 5 Share Posted Wednesday at 11:37 PM So relieved he is not a Duck! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanLduck No. 6 Share Posted Wednesday at 11:52 PM I believe UCLA was the only D1 school to show any interest. Nico came very close to not having a school. He and the Bruins will have a lot of eyes on them. Will it translate to butts in the seats? Doubtful. Wins? Even more doubtful. Negative press. Most likely. Wish we played them this year... Well, like Mr. Fishduck pointed out, perhaps any attention is better than no attention. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JabbaNoBargain No. 7 Share Posted Thursday at 04:54 AM (edited) Did this actually happen? I heard not remotely close to a done deal. Edited Thursday at 04:57 AM by JabbaNoBargain Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 8 Share Posted Thursday at 04:59 AM On 4/16/2025 at 4:52 PM, DanLduck said: Well, like Mr. Fishduck pointed out, perhaps any attention is better than no attention. That's been working for Colorado. So... it holds true. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author Moderator No. 9 Share Posted Thursday at 04:31 PM Jabba, I'm not certain it's a done deal. Hey Son, please leave an SEC playoff-contending school with a 100,000-seat stadium that sells out for every home game and an offensive guru head coach to play for less money, and a team with a new OC with no OC coaching experience, and the chance to play in front of tepid fans in a half empty off-campus stadium. 1 1 4 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Moderator No. 10 Share Posted Thursday at 04:39 PM On 4/17/2025 at 9:31 AM, Jon Joseph said: Hey Son, Could it be that this really is dad's idea? This just gets worse and worse. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author Moderator No. 11 Share Posted Thursday at 04:56 PM On 4/17/2025 at 12:39 PM, 30Duck said: Could it be that this really is dad's idea? This just gets worse and worse. From reports I have read and photos I have seen, Nico's Dad is large and in charge. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utki No. 12 Share Posted Thursday at 05:41 PM Oregon has had a lot of luck with good humans at QB but the ever more entitled yet somehow utterly sensitive young folks are going to make that harder. I shan't mention a current QB on our team who hopped around multiple times. Where have you Gone Joe DiHerbertMariota? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven A Moderator No. 13 Share Posted Thursday at 06:03 PM On 4/16/2025 at 4:52 PM, DanLduck said: Will it translate to butts in the seats? Doubtful. There weren't butts in the seats to begin with if you only count Bruin fans, so there may be more to see if he fails. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven A Moderator No. 14 Share Posted Thursday at 06:15 PM Personally, I hope he stays there and one of his three wins is vs sc. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Waddler Moderator No. 15 Share Posted Thursday at 08:24 PM Whatever the source, it’s the kind of desperation move that’s easy to believe the Bruins might make. That’s a program that’s lacked an identity for so long that fishing expeditions have become 2nd nature. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 16 Share Posted Friday at 01:27 AM Hey! I gotta change my attitude...."it is good for the conference." 1 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
idontrollonshobbas No. 17 Share Posted Friday at 04:51 AM Nico and Prime seem destined for one another. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatOrlando No. 18 Share Posted Friday at 08:49 AM UCLA had thought Nico's younger brother Madden was in the fold. In an instant without a single visit or ties to Arkansas Madden signed on with Arkansas. Deal with this family at your own risk. One of the guys guiding the young man is a guy named Lavell Anders. A former Gator staffer who was let go for "reasons". Joel Klatt actually made a really good point in saying this is ultimately the NCAAs fault. For years now we saw coaches salaries going from 2 million a year to now over ten. Coaches have been playing this game for years and gotten away with it. Now that it's the kids it's deemed out of control. Let's be honest about the fact that guys like Mel Tucker, Jimbo Fisher, Willie Taggart, Lane Kiffin and Brian Kelly have been mercenaries that have no loyalty to anything but their bank account. As a fan of the free market I applaud them. You're worth as much as somebody will pay you. But don't act like it's any better for a coach to do this than a player. Contracts are pointless. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krsmqn No. 19 Share Posted Saturday at 05:27 PM What exactly is Josh Heupel doing right now??? I know what I'm seeing... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 20 Share Posted Saturday at 05:34 PM On 4/19/2025 at 10:27 AM, Krsmqn said: What exactly is Josh Heupel doing right now??? I know what I'm seeing... Sorry...I don't get it. Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirklandduck Moderator No. 21 Share Posted Sunday at 11:05 PM Looks like going to UCLA is official. It's like a train wreck slowly unfolding...I can't look away! Former Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava announces he's transferring to UCLA SPORTS.YAHOO.COM Iamaleava officially entered the transfer portal Wednesday after... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave23 No. 22 Share Posted yesterday at 02:24 AM (edited) On 4/18/2025 at 2:49 AM, GatOrlando said: Let's be honest about the fact that guys like Mel Tucker, Jimbo Fisher, Willie Taggart, Lane Kiffin and Brian Kelly have been mercenaries that have no loyalty to anything but their bank account. As a fan of the free market I applaud them. You're worth as much as somebody will pay you. But don't act like it's any better for a coach to do this than a player. Contracts are pointless. Many of those coaches got absolutely rotated by their former team, just read all the post about Cristobal on this forum. How many of these coaches sat out the first spring practice? I think there's a line that he crossed and he is feeling the brunt of being the first high profile college player to do it. The team had already said no and he made a big public show of it by holding out of the spring game and their are consequences in college and the NFL when you try the hold out move. Had he just said I guess it's not going to work out and declared that he was opting out before the first practice his image would have been in much better shape on par with the coaches that are hated by their former team. Making it extremely public made it so the national media picked it up and there's little sympathy for the 20-year-old making 2.4 million a year that really hasn't proved anything yet. This generally works the same way in the NFL and his agents should have known this. Edited yesterday at 02:33 AM by Dave23 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author Moderator No. 23 Share Posted yesterday at 04:30 PM OBDers, Need a Good Laugh? Nico Makes the Bruins 2025 PO Contenders, Right? Nico iamaleava makes UCLA football CFP contenders GOJOEBRUIN.COM Nico Iamaleava made it official with his transfer to UCLA, and he may be what UCLA needs to make the leap to the College Football Playoffs for the 2025 season. Come On, Man! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woundedknees No. 24 Share Posted yesterday at 04:39 PM Dang... think what he coulda done for Michigan or Indiana!!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 25 Share Posted yesterday at 05:05 PM On 4/21/2025 at 9:30 AM, Jon Joseph said: Nico Makes the Bruins 2025 PO Contenders, Right? If you write for the Bruins...you gotta come up with something to get attention...right? A Little Too Much Blue... 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatOrlando No. 26 Share Posted yesterday at 05:06 PM On 4/20/2025 at 7:24 PM, Dave23 said: Many of those coaches got absolutely rotated by their former team, just read all the post about Cristobal on this forum. How many of these coaches sat out the first spring practice? I think there's a line that he crossed and he is feeling the brunt of being the first high profile college player to do it. The team had already said no and he made a big public show of it by holding out of the spring game and their are consequences in college and the NFL when you try the hold out move. Had he just said I guess it's not going to work out and declared that he was opting out before the first practice his image would have been in much better shape on par with the coaches that are hated by their former team. Making it extremely public made it so the national media picked it up and there's little sympathy for the 20-year-old making 2.4 million a year that really hasn't proved anything yet. This generally works the same way in the NFL and his agents should have known this. I don't buy the "he's a kid"' line myself. He's twenty years old. I and many others have not had the luxury of making five million dollars and getting a free education at a top University to play a game. Wish we had the amazing talent of this guy and yeah we'd surely take the money if offered. But we weren't bestowed with those gifts. I don't trash on a guy for taking advantage of the gifts he was blessed with. I do however agree with people who call him out for his stupidity in handling his business. At some point you have to stand up to even your own father when he's clearly letting his ego ruin your future earnings. The guy wants to be called "Big Nick" and he acted like a petulant child by publicly calling a reporter a liar and an expletive that no mature businessman and father ever should despite proving the reporter 100 percent right less than a day later. This is also a grown man and father who doesn't have a job. His wife is battling a major disease and he's putting the entire families economic future on the backs of his two sons playing careers. He already made his youngest son destroy any future bridge with UCLA, now he's burned many bridges with the elder son that had already brought the family five million and was guaranteed close to another five even if there wasn't an NFL contract at the end. The taxes and price of living in California are much higher in Tennessee and that's no small family that "Big Nick" has his sons providing for. Nico threw for 19 touchdowns btw. He didn't even throw for 2,500 yards in a Josh Heupel offense. One in which he was given a year to sit and learn. Tennessee had brought in two five star tackles and two high four stars at receiver. Heupel had Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton both playing well enough that they both threw well over 2,500 yards in their first season in his system. I hope this is a learning moment for any young man that the leverage they think they have goes only so far. Especially if your numbers don't bare out what your potential numbers project to be. Maybe it's the only thing that average people and these super talented players have in common. You gotta show up to work everyday. Yeah you have a few million more in the bank but many athletes and celebrities blow through that money because of the people they trust to handle their off the field business. Guys like "Big Nick" and LaVell Anders couldn't handle your finances properly in Monopoly. Just look at what they've done to their reputations and financial portfolio based off their skills and talents alone. 1 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author Moderator No. 27 Share Posted yesterday at 05:45 PM On 4/20/2025 at 10:24 PM, Dave23 said: Many of those coaches got absolutely rotated by their former team, just read all the post about Cristobal on this forum. How many of these coaches sat out the first spring practice? I think there's a line that he crossed and he is feeling the brunt of being the first high profile college player to do it. The team had already said no and he made a big public show of it by holding out of the spring game and their are consequences in college and the NFL when you try the hold out move. Had he just said I guess it's not going to work out and declared that he was opting out before the first practice his image would have been in much better shape on par with the coaches that are hated by their former team. Making it extremely public made it so the national media picked it up and there's little sympathy for the 20-year-old making 2.4 million a year that really hasn't proved anything yet. This generally works the same way in the NFL and his agents should have known this. Rece Davis's take on how badly Nico's advisors handled this whole mess. UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava shunned by ESPN's Rece Davis in one-word blurb after Tennessee football exit WWW.SPORTINGNEWS.COM Nico Iamaleava's transfer portal process took aback ESPN college football host Rece Davis. I understand the - 'He's a 20-year-old kid' argument. However, his advisors, even though their behavior may seem teenage-like, are not teenagers. IMO, a 20-year-old who has played big-time college football and was making millions of dollars to do so, should not be hiding behind his advisors. 18-year-olds making less than stellar incomes are on the line to defend the USA and us. If your teammates mean nothing to you, I know I wouldn't want to suit up with you. It's not like Nico was in the G5 and looking for a payday. He was playing in the top football conference in America and was coached up by a QB guru who took Nico and his team to the playoffs. More on this merry-go-round. Joey Aguilar, who transferred to UCLA from App State and was the presumptive starter at QB for the Bruins, has entered the portal and is talking with Tennessee. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JabbaNoBargain No. 28 Share Posted yesterday at 05:54 PM (edited) To me, sitting out just before the spring game and threatening to sit out prior to the playoff is different than taking a better deal in the off-season. Deserved to be roasted, take a pay cut, and reassigned to a terrible team. Well played. Edited yesterday at 06:15 PM by JabbaNoBargain 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santa Rosa Duck No. 29 Share Posted yesterday at 06:47 PM Break out the popcorn. He is probably taking a cut in pay and if he does not have an "All World" season for UCLA this year, I bet that sports writers across the nation are going to teach him a lesson all season. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author Moderator No. 30 Share Posted 21 hours ago The Rumored 'QB Trade' Happened. https://athlonsports.com/college/tennessee-volunteers/tennessee-lands-top-transfer-qb-after-nico-iamaleava-departure-report Nico from Tennessee to UCLA. Joey Aguilar from UCLA to Tennessee. Which QB is being paid the most money? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author Moderator No. 31 Share Posted 21 hours ago Has College Football Morphed Into The National Enquirer? https://athlonsports.com/college-football/hanna-cavinder-breaks-silence-on-reason-she-dumped-carson-beck I wonder if Canes fans will be joining Hanna after the Notre Dame opener? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author Moderator No. 32 Share Posted 21 hours ago The LA Times Is Happy to Have Nico Back Home, Right? Plaschke: With Nico Iamaleava joining UCLA, everybody loses SPORTS.YAHOO.COM UCLA's decision to recruit embattled Tennessee transfer Nico Iamaleava could very well turn into a match made in college football hell for many reasons. A match made in Hell? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoGaDawg No. 33 Share Posted 18 hours ago Looks like Nico’s brother Madden is hitting the portal and will also be a Bruin, at least for a time Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author Moderator No. 34 Share Posted 5 hours ago Tennessee had the second-easiest schedule in the SEC in 2024. Nico, being paid $2.4 million, was average. He played nowhere close to what Vols fans were hoping for. And he alone is going to make UCLA a contender in the B1G? More of a difference than 5* Dante Moore with playing experience and a year of QB tutelege? Nico Iamaleava to UCLA: Big Ten QB outlook in 2025 season as Bruins join short list of teams with stability - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM UCLA suddenly finds itself on solid ground compared to much of the Big Ten entering this season Nico missed all of spring practice, has no experience playing with his new teammates, but provides 'stability' to the Bruins at the QB position? How about waiting to see if the proof is in the B1G pudding? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
