Quarterback Nico Iamaleava says "false reports" mischaracterized his motivations for leaving Tennessee, adding that he chose UCLA to play closer to home.

UCLA bringing in Iamaleava, and the situation with transfer wideout Kaedin Robinson — who made public record his $500,000 NIL deal in an effort to successfully sue the NCAA for eligibility this season — signals that the Bruins, who went 3-6 in league play in their first year in the Big Ten, are now in the game.

Our Jamal Madni was in the scrum at Big Ten Media Days speaking with UCLA Bruins starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Take a listen to what he had to say about the upcoming season. Make sure to subscribe to our UCLA LAFB YouTube Channel!

What exactly went down between Nico Iamaleava and Tennessee is unknown, but the new UCLA quarterback is adamant that the alleged NIL standoff did not result lead to his transfer portal decision. The former five-star signed what was believed to be the first multi-million NIL deal for a high-school prospect when coming out of Downey,

There have been several rumors as to why Nico Iamaleava really left Tennessee. It was the money, it was the lack of an offensive line, but now the truth has really come to light and it brings a whole other side to the NIL era,