Nico Iamaleava carries a $2 million On3 NIL valuation for 2026, his second season at UCLA. He is best known for the NIL dispute that ended his Tennessee career in April 2025: his deal there paid $2.4 million a year and more than $8 million in total, and ESPN reported his representatives pushed for $4 million for 2025. He skipped a spring practice, Tennessee moved on, and he transferred home to UCLA. He re-signed with the Bruins for 2026 instead of entering the NFL Draft.
| Stop | NIL pay | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee, 2023 and 2024 | $2.4 million a year, more than $8 million total | 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions as a redshirt freshman starter in 2024 |
| April 2025 dispute | Reported ask of $4 million for 2025 | Skipped a practice; Josh Heupel said the program was moving on; entered the portal April 16 |
| UCLA, 2025 | About $2 million valuation | 1,928 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, seven interceptions and 505 rushing yards as UCLA went 3 and 9 |
| UCLA, 2026 | $2 million | Re-signed for another season under new coach Bob Chesney |
How It Compares
| Player | School | 2026 On3 valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Dante Moore, QB (also started at UCLA) | Oregon | $5 million |
| Nico Iamaleava, QB | UCLA | $2 million |
| DJ Lagway, QB | Baylor | $2 million |
Why His Case Mattered
Iamaleava’s exit was the first time a starting quarterback at a major program left over a renegotiation, and it pushed schools toward one year deals that are revisited each offseason. He has said family and proximity to Long Beach drove the move to UCLA, not money, and has called the reports about his demands false. His 2026 deal is again a one year agreement.
Contract figures are from ESPN; the 2026 valuation is On3’s figure. NIL valuations are estimates, not salaries.
The Bottom Line
Nico Iamaleava is worth $2 million in NIL for 2026 at UCLA, below the $2.4 million a year he made at Tennessee before the dispute that sent him west. See his coach’s deal on the Bob Chesney salary page and the national list on highest NIL valuations. Follow the Bruins on the UCLA football schedule.