Insider claims Nico Iamaleava was not sitting in the “driver’s seat” for the transfer decision

The fiasco between Nico Iamaleava and Tennessee has been the major highlight of the 2025 spring transfer portal. The quarterback reportedly attempted to renegotiate his NIL contract with the school at the end of the spring camp, leading to a sudden breakup.

On the “College GameDay Podcast,” college football insider Pete Thamel discussed the drama that occurred between Iamaleava and the Volunteers. The quarterback completed his transfer to UCLA over the weekend, which marks a new start for him.

Citing sources within the program, Thamel contended on the show that Iamaleava had little to no input on the decision that got him out of Knoxville. The transfer turned out to be an awful decision financially, as he took a pay cut to join the Bruins.

“The sense I've gotten from covering this thing pretty close to the last couple weeks, Rece, is that Nico hasn't had a ton of say in what's happening with Nico,” Thamel said (Timestamp 4:22). “He has not been in the driver's seat of these decisions and these moves.

“He generally had a good reputation at Tennessee. He wasn't a malcontent there. He had a strong relationship with Josh Heupel. He was liked in the building. He was thought to be a solid leader. He was not a prop at all at Tennessee. He was well liked there, and he seemed to like it there, by all accounts.”

Pete Thamel believes staying at Tennessee would have been the best decision for Nico Iamaleava

Nico Iamaleava's transfer away from Tennessee was not what many anticipated within the college football realm. The quarterback had a brilliant season with the Vols in 2024, leading them to the College Football Playoff. Thamel believes staying in Knoxville would have been the right move for Iamaleava.

“It is inarguable that for Nico's development, the best thing for him to do in April of 2025 was to stay at Tennessee in his third year at a system in a very good team that made the playoffs last year,” Thamel said (Timestamp 2:24).

“[The Vols also] made some needed upgrades on offense for him to mature as a quarterback and get ready for the NFL draft, which his camp has always wanted to be a three-and-done. There is zero argument that the best thing for him to do would have been to stay at Tennessee.”

Nico Iamaleava now faces the challenges of adapting to a new environment, learning a new offense and syncing seamlessly with new teammates as the fall gets closer.