One failed NIL negotiation, and Nico Iamaleava has suddenly become probably the biggest storyline in the college football circuit. It’s not that Tennessee did not want to keep their QB1, the demand for a massive hike in his payroll, and perhaps his poor attitude during the negotiation, and his father’s tactics outside the gridiron field, forced the Vols to end their partnership with Iamaleava. Now, just when Nico has found a new home in Pasadena, a place where his younger brother Madden Iamaleava was once committed. And while Nico is still settling in with the Bruins, it’s Madden’s recent response to the transfer that has everyone talking.

The skipped practice. The portal jump. The UCLA transfer rumors. It’s been a heck of a ride for the former Vols QB. But whether he got what he was looking for, as far as money is concerned, one thing is clear. After all the back and forth, the NIL chaos, and his dad scorching social media, the 5-star QB from Long Beach is headed back home.

Once the UCLA deal was official, Nico opened up about how difficult it was for the QB to make this decision. “My journey at UT has come to an end,” Iamaleava wrote in an Instagram post Sunday. “This decision was incredibly difficult, and truthfully, not something I expected to make this soon. But I trust God’s timing, and I believe He’s leading me where I need to be. “Even though this chapter is ending, a new chapter has begun, and I am committed to UCLA!” With that post, while Nico officially closed the door on Knoxville and is on the path to embrace his new journey with the Bruins, the 20-year-old has received a message from his younger brother, who left the UCLA Program just last year because of a major change at UCLA.

In his Instagram story on April 20, Madden Iamaleava shared Nico Iamaleava’s social post of him rocking the UCLA jersey under the palms and blue skies. And he just dropped a one-word message — and an emoticon that read “🆗.” That’s it. That’s all he wrote. While it may seem subtle, coming from his younger brother, who decommitted from UCLA in favor of Arkansas not too long ago, it feels like more than just a casual nod.

Let’s rewind a bit. Madden Iamaleava, a 4-star QB and ESPN’s No. 8 pocket passer in the 2025 class, was UCLA’s top acquisition in DeShaun Foster’s first recruiting cycle. But he bailed and chose Arkansas over the Bruins in December. And he didn’t jump ship alone. His high school WR teammate Jace Brown also followed him to Fayetteville. It was a double blow for UCLA, which went from building a SoCal pipeline to watching it sizzle out in real time. But the question is, why did Madden leave UCLA in the first place?

As per an exclusive interview of Madden’s father with 247Sports, leaving UCLA for Arkansas made more sense to the younger Iamaleava, because the reason behind committing to the Bruins was that Madden saw he could grow better with the then-OC Eric Bieniemy, who was relieved of his duties in December 2024. “We did hear those rumors, that he could be leaving,” Nic said. “We liked EB a lot, he was one of the reasons Madden committed there. That uncertainty was tough because Madden of course wanted to know who his OC would be.”

With Eric gone from UCLA, the Iamaleavas believed that Arkansas would be a better place for Madden, where veteran coach Bobby Petrino serves as OC. “At Arkansas, we have a ton of respect for Bobby Petrino and what he has done. He has done some amazing things developing quarterbacks and calling an offense. He’s one of the best there is so when they reached out to Madden, we had to listen,” Nic added.

And now, Nico Iamaleava’s walking into that gap Madden left behind. Full circle, right? But wait. Maybe it’s not even about football anymore. Maybe it’s about damage control? This is less of a power move and more of a retreat home. Sure, he’s a Long Beach native, but this doesn’t feel like a triumphant homecoming. It feels rushed and forced. Pete Nakos cleared the curiosity in the air, saying, “In terms of how much money he’s going to get, it’s going to be far less than the $4 million he wanted from Tennessee.” And honestly, it feels like fallout from what went down with his dad.

Nico Iamaleava’s dad’s self-defense 

Let’s not forget that this whole Nico Iamaleava negotiation saga went nuclear when the dad, Nic Iamaleava, blasted Pete Nakos on social media. Tennessee reportedly offered $2.4M for Nico, but it’s $4M and no less for the family. Nic even spit the “B—- Nakos” label and posted on X — “More games are being played off the field than on the field… I told him I had no idea what he was talking about.” But the journalist stood by his reporting.

“(Nic) just kept telling me that I knew more than he did, but didn’t really want and decline it,” Nakos told Crain and Company. And then there’s no apology or any sort of communication for that matter, as he added — “There’s been no contact. I have tried to call him multiple times, though, to try to be like: Is Nico going to the transfer portal? Is Nico going to UCLA? Because you would know best, but no contact there.”

A messy episode for Nico Iamaleava, no doubt. But let the past remain in the past. At least the 20-year-old can rebuild his reputation at UCLA, for he’s got a whole future ahead of him. And the upcoming season is going to set the foundation.