By Mark Pszonak
Now that it is known that Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava will be looking for a new home, where might that be? There will be plenty of guesses, but many of those won’t be realistic because of the status of current rosters and available NIL funds. With that said, here are a few realistic destinations:
USC
The Trojans aren’t afraid to make a big splash and while their NIL funding always seems to be a topic of debate, when they need the money, it seems to appear. The current quarterback battle between Jayden Maiava and Husan Longstreet likely wouldn’t deter the Trojans from taking a long, hard look at Iamaleava. On top of that, he is from Downey, California, which is less than 20 miles from campus.
North Carolina
What better way to bring even more publicity to the 2025 North Carolina season than adding Iamaleava to the roster? Bill Belichick isn’t the type of coach to worry about the sideshow that will follow Iamaleava to his next school if he thinks that the addition would help the position. And that position is currently being contested between Max Johnson and Ryan Browne, neither of whom are difference makers. And when it comes to NIL, the Tar Heels seem to have an abundance of it.
Texas Tech
This may seem like an odd option for some, but the Red Raiders have made it very known that they aren’t afraid to splash the cash. So, while the money wouldn’t be an issue, the current roster situation could be. Behren Morton is back in 2025 after passing for 3,335 yards, 27 touchdowns and only eight interceptions last season. Is it possible that the Red Raiders believe that Iamaleava would be an upgrade?
UCLA
As with USC above, location can play a huge factor in the Bruins’ favor. UCLA has already added one transfer quarterback, Joey Aguilar (Appalachian State), who is projected to be the starter, but that likely wouldn’t keep them from considering Iamaleava. Plus, after a disappointing first season in the Big Ten, the program and fanbase are looking for a spark to bring them back to relevance.
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Notre Dame
This one would surprise me, but supposedly the Irish will at least kick the tires with Iamaleava. After adding a starting transfer quarterback the last two seasons (Sam Hartman, Riley Leonard), Notre Dame seemed poised to choose amongst returnees Steve Angeli and CJ Carr. Money wouldn’t be an issue, but would the Irish be willing to likely throw the entire quarterback room upside down by making this move?
