‘Wasn’t a good memory for me’ – Former Vols QB Nico Iamaleava confirms that he went to see Oregon play during the 2024 season
Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava confirmed on Wednesday that he went to see the Oregon Ducks play during the 2024 college football season. Iamaleava told reporters on Wednesday that he went to the Rose Bowl last September to watch Oregon play UCLA. “The last (UCLA) game I did come to was the UCLA vs […]
Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava confirmed on Wednesday that he went to see the Oregon Ducks play during the 2024 college football season.
Iamaleava told reporters on Wednesday that he went to the Rose Bowl last September to watch Oregon play UCLA.
“The last (UCLA) game I did come to was the UCLA vs Oregon game at the Rose Bowl last year,” said Iamaleava. “That wasn’t a good memory for me, but we’re ready to go this year.”
Oregon and UCLA played each other on Sept. 28 last season (the Ducks beat the Bruins 34-13). Tennessee didn’t have a game that weekend (the Vols lost on the road to Arkansas the following weekend).
Iamaleava, who transferred from Tennessee to UCLA in April, was believed to be interested in transferring to Oregon last winter.
In fact, it was reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel that Iamaleava’s representatives reached out to Oregon before the start of spring practice.
“Before the start of spring practice this year, Iamaleava’s representatives reached out to Oregon to gauge its interest in the quarterback, but the school said it wasn’t interested, sources told ESPN,” wrote Thamel in April. “Oregon then notified Tennessee that Iamaleava was being shopped to the Ducks.”
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was asked about that report, but he declined to address it.
“I’m not getting into anything else, but let’s talk about (Oregon’s) scrimmage today,” said Lanning in April when asked about Iamaleava. “The Ducks worked really hard at the scrimmage today.”
UCLA and Oregon aren’t scheduled to play this season.
Iamaleava will start his first game for the Bruins on Saturday night when UCLA opens the season at home against Utah.
Tennessee Volunteers News
New report reveals how big of an NIL raise the Tennessee Vols were willing to give Nico Iamaleava before the QB transferred to UCLA
UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava will earn around $1.2 million in 2025, according to a recent report from On3’s Pete Nakos. That’s half of what Iamaleava was expected to earn had he stayed at Tennessee for the 2025 season. He was reportedly going to earn around $2.4 million with the Vols as a redshirt sophomore […]
