Tennessee and UCLA have finalized what amounts to an offseason quarterback trade.
UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar entered the transfer portal Monday and hours later several outlets reported he committed to Tennessee.
Aguilar changed schools less than four months after he transferred to UCLA from Appalachian State.
He was poised to be UCLA’s starter in the fall and had participated in spring practices as the No. 1 QB. But the depth chart was altered over the weekend when quarterback Nico Iamaleava left Tennessee and transferred to UCLA.
Tennessee and coach Josh Heupel moved on from Iamaleava after the quarterback skipped practice and team meetings April 11, the day before the Volunteers’ spring game. Iamaleava and his camp were seeking a new NIL deal that would raise his 2025 income from $2.4 million to $4 million.
Iamaleava will reportedly make less than $2.4 million in his NIL deal at UCLA. Meanwhile, ESPN reported that Aguilar will receive “close to” $1.2 million from Tennessee, which was how much he had left on his initial deal with the Bruins.
A native of Northern California, Aguilar played at the junior college level at Diablo Valley before he transferred to Appalachian State. In two seasons at Appalachian State, he completed 60.1 percent of his passes for 6,760 yards, 56 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in 25 games.
With Tennessee in 2024, Iamaleava threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns, with the Volunteers going 10-3 and making the College Football Playoff.
Iamaleava’s younger brother, Madden Iamaleava, is following him and transferring from Arkansas to UCLA, ESPN reported Monday. An incoming freshman, Madden Iamaleava was originally committed to the Bruins before flipping to Arkansas. The brothers grew up in Long Beach, Calif.
–Field Level Media
