'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke doesn't think the UCLA Bruins should entertain getting Nico Iamaleava in the transfer portal.
Iamaleava left Tennessee amid an NIL dispute. He reportedly wanted an increase to $4 million in NIL money as he was set to get around $2.1 million. As he was holding out of practice and eventually the spring game, Tennessee decided to move on from him.
As Iamaleava entered the portal, UCLA was considered the frontrunner. Yet, Plaschke doesn't think the Bruins should go for the quarterback.
Trending
“UCLA, don’t do it,” Plaschke said on April 17. "Don’t take him. This kid is toxic. At some point, we have to talk about these kids. He had a $2.4 million salary, he wanted to double his money even though he hasn’t won a playoff game.
"And he walks out on the team in spring practice the first day of spring practice, he was out, he leaves, goes into the transfer portal. So the next team that takes him has to understand he’s all about the money, he’s not about the team, and $2.5 million is not enough for him even though he’s an average quarterback," Plaschke added.
Plaschke believes Iamaleava is a toxic person and would be bad for the locker room, which is why he doesn't think UCLA should get him.
As well, Plaschke says the juice isn't worth the squeeze as he doesn't think Iamaleava is a legit star quarterback in college.
The knock on Iamaleava was his play against the top teams. Last season, he threw for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, but in nine games against SEC opponents and Ohio State in the playoff, he passed for more than 200 yards only twice. 11 of his 19 touchdowns also came against UTEP, Chattanooga, and Vanderbilt.
UCLA is in talks with Nico Iamaleava
Although Bill Plaschke doesn't think UCLA should get Nico Iamaleava, the school is in talks with the quarterback.
According to ESPN's Chris Low, UCLA is negotiating with Iamaleava. But, the deal is for less than $2.4 million he was making at Tennessee.
"We'll see if it gets worked out. He's extremely talented with starting experience against elite competition. That's sort of where we are right now," the UCLA source told ESPN.
Iamaleava officially entered the transfer portal Wednesday with a do not contact tag. He was a five-star recruit in the class of 2023.
Who's NEXT on the HOT SEAT? Check out the 7 teams that desperately need a coaching change
