• Loading stock data...
Thursday, September 18, 2025

UCLA’s Joey Aguilar Transferring to Tennessee in Quarterback Swap

Joey Aguilar will reportedly earn around seven figures in NIL money—but that’s less than previous Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

On Sunday night, UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar lost his starting spot to Nico Iamaleava, the embattled quarterback who shocked the college football world last week by announcing he would leave Tennessee.

But now Aguilar has found a new home—at Iamaleava’s old school. 

Aguilar has committed to transfer to Tennessee and will earn “around seven-figures” in NIL (name, image, and likeness) money to do it, a source told Front Office Sports Monday night. ESPN was first to report the news. That’s still less than Iamalaeava was scheduled to be paid this year by Tennessee (around $2.4 million, according to multiple reports).

Now, the two quarterbacks have switched places in what many in the industry are dubbing the first-ever college football “trade.” Unlike in the pros, however, this trade was coincidental, rather than a result of two programs or collectives negotiating directly with each other to swap quarterbacks, FOS has confirmed. Aguilar was likely not an option for Tennessee until Iamaleava decided to transfer to UCLA.

For Aguilar, it’s been a whirlwind offseason due to forces outside his control. He entered the transfer portal this past winter after his head coach at App State was fired (a common response for players). He landed at UCLA in January and participated in spring practices in Westwood—but his world was ultimately turned upside down after Nico Iamaleava’s relationship with Tennessee fell apart. 

For Iamaleava, the last two weeks have been an NIL horror story. Now he’s ended up at a less successful football program for less money—a situation many industry experts attributed to “bad representation.” 

Iamaleava has been known to have one of the highest NIL collective contracts in all of college football. But after the Vols got knocked out of the College Football Playoff this past year, his camp asked for a raise, a source previously told FOS. (Iamaleava’s camp denies that they asked for more money.) The collective made counteroffers, the source said, but nothing was agreed and Iamaleava’s camp was increasingly unresponsive. 

He decided to transfer after drama surrounding an On3 report that Iamaleava was renegotiating his NIL contract. Iamaleava subsequently skipped the Friday practice before the spring game, and the team decided they didn’t want him back anyway.

Within a week, rumors began to surface that UCLA was Iamaleava’s next option. He announced his commitment to UCLA Sunday afternoon for a deal rumored to be in the $1.5 million range. Meanwhile, his younger brother Madden, a freshman quarterback at Arkansas, will join him at UCLA, according to ESPN.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

$3.8 Billion Commanders Stadium Deal Approved Despite Late Drama

A decisive final vote on the stadium followed some last-minute snags.

Netflix Boxing Ratings Spark New Fight Over Streaming Metrics

The streamer used a non-accredited process to measure the boxing match.
Donald Trump
exclusive

Trump’s Unprecedented Super Bowl Visit Cost Secret Service More Than $120K

Trump was the first president to attend the Super Bowl.

CFB TV Ratings Stay Hot As Georgia-Tennessee Sets ABC High of 12.6M

ABC has had four games that have topped 10 million viewers this season.

Featured Today

Premier Lacrosse League

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
September 13, 2025

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 13, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back AK Dear (0) tries to outrun Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) during the second half at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Despite Vote Delay, SCORE Act Negotiations Continue on Capitol Hill

Political ad campaigns during college football Saturdays continue as well.
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) looks to pass during the first quarter against the New Mexico Lobos at Rose Bowl.
September 15, 2025

UCLA-Tennessee QB Trade Has Been Painful So Far

Iamaleava abruptly left Tennessee for UCLA this past offseason.
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; New Mexico Lobos quarterback Jack Layne (2) reacts after his team scored a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl.
September 15, 2025

UCLA Paid New Mexico $1.2 Million for Friday’s Loss: Payout Game Tracker

The Bruins weren’t the only Power-4 school to lose a buy game and fire their coach.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 14, 2025

College Football’s Costly Start for Virginia Tech, UCLA: Coaches Out

UCLA and Virginia Tech fire their coaches while Notre Dame slumps badly.
Mar 4, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks with Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., ahead of President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.
September 11, 2025

House Republicans Delay SCORE Act Vote Tentatively Planned for Next Week

They didn’t believe they had enough votes to pass the bill.
Jan 25, 2023; Langley, British Columbia, CAN; Highlights from the CHL Kubota Top Prospects game at the Langley Events Centre
September 10, 2025

NCAA Hockey Scouts Denied Passes for Crucial Recruiting League

The CHL won’t welcome scouts on passes: “It comes across as petty.”
Feb 17, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs guard Jalen Weaver (5) during the first half against the Boise State Broncos at ExtraMile Arena.
September 10, 2025

NCAA Bans 3 Basketball Players for Violating Betting Rules Last Season

The former San Jose State and Fresno State players have lost eligibility.