After a tumultuous split with the University of Tennessee, current UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava finds himself in a precarious spot. With the head coach who recruited him to Westwood, Deshaun Foster, now out of a job, his future becomes muddled. With eligibility remaining but an unsure direction, he will need to plot his future.
How did Iamaleava get to this point? More importantly, where does he go from this point?
CFB Analyst Projects UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava to End Up in Miami
Nico Iamaleava waited his turn for the starting spot in 2023 at the University of Tennessee. Last year, he won the starting spot, leading the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff (ultimately losing to Ohio State), and was a finalist for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year award.
In the offseason, a monetary dispute saw the redshirt sophomore leave the program. He ended up at UCLA, playing for then-head coach Deshaun Foster. After a 0-3 start, the administration fired Foster. Now, Iamaleava can head into the transfer portal and redshirt this season, granting him three years of eligibility.
Aaron Torres drilled down on his YouTube channel and offered insight into the matter.
“I do think Miami would make a little bit of sense, though, right? and I think Miami obviously looks whatever we think of Mario Cristobal, and I think to his credit he’s changing that narrative.”
After Cam Ward left Washington State and transformed his draft stock into the first-overall pick, credit Cristobal; the school spent money on elite quarterback talent. Carson Beck is leaving for the NFL next season.
The Hurricanes will have an opening. Iamaleava feels like a one-year starter before he goes to play on Sundays.
“I think his dad really screwed up a lot of things for him. I don’t, you know, I wouldn’t hire Nic Iamaleava as my personal consultant for anything. But I’m not rooting against Nico. I don’t want to see him fail,” Torres added.
Torres is not the first person to lay blame at the feet of Iamaleava’s father, Nic. This article drops the blame entirely at his feet as being the orchestrator of the dissent between his son’s camp and the University of Tennessee. The father earned a rather unflattering reputation around the sport, and Torres believes that the quarterback’s career suffers due to the parents’ intervention.
Miami is a program that needs a quarterback to stay in the national college football conversation. As mentioned, they’ve shelled out millions for quarterbacks in Ward and Beck, so the precedent exists.
Now, the fit makes sense with an opening at the position next season and a quarterback needing a home. Will Miami make an offer, and how much will it cost to procure Iamaleava’s services?
