Get used to the idea of a college football player re-signing with the team they played for in the previous season.
It’s an idea that would have seemed outlandish even just a few years ago, but the NIL and transfer portal era has basically created a free agency of sorts every offseason in college football.
Players are “signing” one-year NIL deals and then evaluating things as they come.
The latest to do that is reportedly UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who has decided that he’s going to play another season in Southern California.
This, according to Hayes Fawcett of On3, who is reporting that Iamaleva has “re-signed” with the Bruins.
Basically, he’s decided to agree on another NIL deal.
Keep in mind, these deals are barely worth the paper they’re written on in terms of guarantees for either party. Neither are these “agreements” between player and school.
The best example of this idea is, ironically, Iamaleava, who started his career as a five-star freshman for the Tennessee Volunteers. Last offseason, his representation and the brass at Tennessee couldn’t come together on a NIL payment number, which caused Iamaleava to hit the transfer portal in the spring.
Nico Iamaleava sticking around with UCLA Bruins for 2026
It was a huge story in the college football world because Iamaleava had just led Tennessee to the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
Ironically, Iamaleava transferred to UCLA, and the quarterback at UCLA at the time, Joey Aguilar, transferred to Tennessee in what was essentially a quarterback trade between the two programs. It was a wild spring for Aguilar. He had transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA and hadn’t even played an official snap for the Bruins before transferring to Tennessee.
That’s life in the transfer portal era, so how did it wind up for both quarterbacks?
Tennessee went 8-4, and Aguilar threw for 3,444 yards and 24 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. He also rushed for three touchdowns.
UCLA went 3-9 and fired head coach DeShaun Foster early in the season.
Iamaleava threw for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions while rushing for 505 yards and four scores.
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