UCLA's Nico Iamaleava money decision called an 'all-time disaster' as Vols' Joey Aguilar wins trade
originally appeared on The Sporting News

Perhaps Week One was just a fluke for the UCLA Bruins, and transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava simply had a rough outing. However, the player essentially swapped for him, lit it up in Atlanta, which gave Week Two added significance. Iamaleava’s father reportedly convinced him to leave Tennessee due to concerns about the offensive line, but ironically, UCLA's situation appears to be significantly worse.

“If Nico's dad wasn't happy with the o-line play and wide receivers at Tennessee — I CANNOT wait to hear what he's gonna have to say about tonight,” Fox Sports’ Aaron Torres posted.

While there are many theories circulating about why Iamaleava transferred, he told the media that the move was all about returning home.

“My driving factor to come back home was my family, and I hope every Tennessee fan understands that," Iamaleava said at Big Ten media days. "It was just a lot of drama, but man, I'm excited to be at UCLA."

With Joey Aguilar thriving in Knoxville and Iamaleava struggling at UCLA for a second consecutive week, it’s becoming increasingly clear who won this de facto trade.

“Last year, Nick Saban said, 'If you don't pay the right guys, you'll be s**t out of luck.' Tennessee opted not to pay Nico Iamaleava. UCLA did. Based on the first game, UCLA looks to be the one that's SOL,” Pro Football Talk posted.

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Analyst Clay Travis didn’t hold back after UCLA's Week Two loss, calling Iamaleava’s performance an all-time disaster.

“Nico throws a final drive interception and UCLA is upset by UNLV. The 0-2 Bruins will struggle to make a bowl game. Meanwhile Joey Aguilar is 2-0 and will start in front of over 100,000 Vol fans against Georgia next week. Just an all time disaster decision by Nico,” Travis said.

There’s no doubt Iamaleava is going through a tough stretch—and he may already be regretting his decision to leave Tennessee. In the end, money and greed rarely lead to long-term success.

UCLA looks lost right now, and it may be too late to turn things around. Meanwhile, Joey Aguilar is preparing for the biggest game of his career, with a chance to prove Tennessee is legit once again.

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