This April, after his NIL dispute went sideways, Nico Iamaleava left Tennessee. He swapped the Vols’ playoff hopes for the California sun, only to find he traded gold for smog and a hefty tax bill. Tennessee’s message back was clear. “Nobody’s bigger than the Power T.” Iamaleava’s family blamed the Vols’ offense and a lack of enough weapons for him. However, some even pointed at the QB’s family, accusing them of greed for more NIL money. Whatever the reason, Nico bounced, and chaos followed. Let’s keep it a buck, though: Deshaun Foster’s Westwood isn’t exactly cooking on offense either.

The Bruins went 5-7 last year, gave up 34 sacks, and looked allergic to offensive rhythm. They had games where the O-line looked like they were playing Twister instead of blocking. Straight-up mess. So now it’s DeShaun Foster’s headache. Man inherited a line ranked 114th out of 134 in sacks allowed per game. Let that marinate.

One of the most telling moments came when UCLA squared off with Oregon. The Bruins gave up four sacks and got hit with seven tackles for loss, and starting QB Ethan Garbers got knocked out of the game after tweaking his ankle under heavy heat. That matchup straight-up exposed the O-line’s struggles holding up against elite D-lines—a problem that kept popping up all season.

They brought in Reuben Unije and Alani Makihele to fix it up, but nothing clicked. Communication breakdowns, flags flying everywhere, and QB bodies dropping like flies. And now Nico’s got to run that offense with a line that didn’t even hit spring pads together?

On May 26th, Brian Smith didn’t sugarcoat it either. On the Locked on UCLA podcast, he kept it real: “The elite programs recruit elite offensive linemen out of high school ranks and that’s pretty much it…But UCLA has recruited O-line so poorly, especially in their own backyard, probably long before DeShaun got there to Westwood, they’re behind the eight ball.” He also said Nico and the portal crew didn’t even get a full spring to mesh with the line. “Even if you got the best players, not having spring ball leaves a lot to be desired.” Translation: chemistry issues incoming.

And Tennessee had a real offensive line. Made the playoffs, protected their QB. That isn’t what Nico’s walking into at UCLA. He’s now the franchise quarterback for a team that can’t keep its own players upright. The whole situation got folks wondering: Did Nico fumble the bag, or does he know something we don’t? Because if this doesn’t work, folks will talk.

Adam Breneman exposed false NFL agenda on Nico Iamaleava

When Nico Iamaleava dipped from Tennessee, the takes came flying in hot. Twitter fingers and message boards all cried the same thing: he ruined his NFL stock. Folks whispered that NFL teams would see him as money-hungry, disloyal, not built for the big time. Like his transfer was some fatal character flaw. But Adam Breneman?

“There’s so much negativity about Nico Iamaleava transferring from Tennessee,” Breneman said. “But here’s the reality, NFL teams do not care that Nico transferred. They don’t give a sh-t. That narrative is completely outdated.” Point blank, period. The league is not judging these kids like it’s 2005. They’re watching tape, not loyalty tests.

Just look at the receipts. Cam Ward—man went to three schools, and he still went No. 1 overall. FOUR of the last six first-round QBs last year were transfers. In 2025’s draft? Almost every top quarterback had bounced schools. These front offices don’t care where you played—they care how you played. And even more? How do you adapt? One NFL scout even said, “Questioning the player’s loyalty and competitive nature has become a little antiquated.” That’s code for: stop acting like it’s a morality play.

Breneman kept it rolling: “Scouts care more about how you adapt when you go through change and adversity in your career. Everyone has changed. Everyone makes mistakes. How do you adapt to it?” Nico’s move might’ve shocked fans, but to the league? It’s business as usual. Rams GM Les Snead even praised the very thing Nico’s going through. “For players who can bounce around and learn new systems and still play just as fast, that’s an added bonus for us.”

And let’s not forget—the college system is broken. Coaches leave mid-season, programs flip culture overnight, and NIL deals change the game weekly. So when a player moves for a better situation, it’s not betrayal—it’s strategy. But if Nico balls out at UCLA, NFL scouts will see it as proof he can lead through chaos, learn a new offense, and still cook. That’s value.

This isn’t the red flag folks made it out to be. Nico didn’t sink his draft stock—he gambled on himself. Might be risky, sure. But it’s the type of risk that could pay off big if he survives the wreckage at UCLA and still shines. And if he doesn’t? That would be the end of Nico Iamaleva. So while everyone’s out here blaming NIL, loyalty, and the Cali sun, the NFL’s watching for something else: resilience. And if Nico’s got that? Then DeShaun Foster’s gamble might just flip from blunder to breakout.