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USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Nico Iamaleava's UCLA football jersey number announced
UCLA will kick off its 2025 football season Aug. 30 versus Utah. The season opener is slated for 11 p.m. EDT at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California (Fox). 2025 will mark the Bruins' first season with redshirt sophomore Nico Iamaleava at quarterback. He transferred to UCLA from Tennessee. The 6-foot-6, 215-pound signal-caller appeared in 18 games for the Vols during the 2023-24 seasons. He completed 241-of-379 passing attempts for 2,930 yards, 21 touchdowns and five interceptions. Iamaleava also recorded 435 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 129 attempts at Tennessee. He entered the NCAA transfer portal April 12 and committed to UCLA on April 20. Iamaleava did not attend Tennessee's final spring practice and Orange & White Game before transferring from the Vols. He wore jersey No. 8 at Tennessee. No. 8 is retired by UCLA, honoring former Bruins' quarterback Troy Aikman. Iamaleava is listed to wear No. 9 on UCLA's official 2025 roster. More: 2025 Tennessee football projected starting lineup for offense More: Nico Iamaleava detailed being 'comfortable' in Tennessee's offense during spring practices Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
USA Today
16-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee players discuss Nico Iamaleava situation at SEC media days
The second day of SEC media days featured Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia and Texas on Tuesday in Atlanta, Georgia. Junior linebacker Arion Carter, senior tight end Miles Kitselman and senior defensive lineman Bryson Eason represented Tennessee as student-athletes at SEC media days. Tennessee players were asked about their offseason. The Vols replaced their starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava after spring practices. The signal-caller did not attend Tennessee's final spring practice or the Orange & White Game, and transferred to UCLA. 'Having a guy like that leave with such character and such poise was a hard thing to do, but nobody's bigger than the program,' Carter said at SEC media days. 'We wish him the best where he is at, and I hope he has a great career and goes on to do great things. 'I feel it didn't waiver from the agenda, we had to step forward, and do, especially with the new guys we have set, with the three quarterbacks in our room with George (MacIntyre), Jake (Merklinger) and Joey (Aguilar). I feel we were able to crowd around those guys early and get those guys ready and prepare them over this course of these last few weeks. These next few weeks, going into fall and training camp for this 2025 season, I feel very well where we're standing, but we have a lot to do and a lot to prove still." Kitselman discussed moving on from Iamaleava's transfer situation. 'We had a group text with a couple of the guys,' he said. 'Whenever some stuff was going around, we all came together and said, hey, man, we want somebody who wants to be here. "I talked about it earlier, it's the next snap, next play, don't worry about what happened before. I think that can translate over into life, can translate over to the situation, if you don't want to be here, that's fine, we're going to go find somebody who does and he's going to come in here and compete, and want to be here. We didn't skip a beat and I love it." More: Josh Heupel discusses SEC playing eight-nine games, preserving football rivalries Eason also detailed how the Vols are coming together as a team during the offseason. 'It's just been us, just focused on everybody that is in the building,' he said. 'That's really what only matters at the end of the day. Just focusing on us, and building as a team, and just taking steps every day to be better as a team and as one." Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
USA Today
07-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 Tennessee football post-spring game-by-game predictions
2025 Tennessee football post-spring game-by-game predictions 2025 will mark the fifth football season for Tennessee under head coach Josh Heupel. He has compiled a 37-15 (20-12 SEC) record with the Vols since 2021. Tennessee concluded spring football practices with its Orange & White Game at Neyland Stadium on April 12. Following the Vols' spring game, the NCAA transfer portal was open from April 16-25. Tennessee added Grand Valley State defensive lineman Josh Schell, UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar and Colorado defensive back Colton Hood. Wide receiver Dayton Sneed (North Carolina), quarterback Nico Iamaleava (UCLA), defensive back John Slaughter (Colorado), defensive back Christian Charles (Virginia), offensive lineman Ayden Bussell (West Virginia), offensive lineman Larry Johnson III (Colorado) and defensive back Jakobe Thomas (Miami) transferred from the Vols during the spring window. Following the conclusion of the Orange & White Game and the spring transfer portal window, Vols Wire provides game predictions for Tennessee in 2025. Vols Wire correctly projected regular-season win-loss records for Tennessee in 2021, 2022 and 2024 under Heupel. A final 2025 win-loss record projection for the Vols will be released in fall training camp. 2025 Tennessee football post-spring game-by-game predictions Syracuse Orange Tennessee will kick off its 2025 season against Syracuse in a neutral site matchup. Tennessee leads the all time series, 3-0, and last played the Orange in 2001. Prediction: W Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia) Date: Aug. 30 East Tennessee State Buccaneers The two in-state schools will play for a second time with the first meeting taking place in 2018. The Vols were victorious, 59-3, at Neyland Stadium. Prediction: W Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee) Date: Sept. 6 Georgia Bulldogs Georgia has won eight consecutive games against Tennessee. The Vols last win in the series was in 2016. The longest win streak in the series is nine games by Tennessee from 1989-99. Prediction: L Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee) Date: Sept. 13 UAB Blazers Tennessee leads the series against UAB, 5-0, all time. The Vols and Blazers have played two one-possession games in the series (2005, 2010). Prediction: W Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee) Date: Sept. 20 Mississippi State Bulldogs Tennessee defeated Mississippi State, 33-14, in 2024 at Neyland Stadium. The Vols will play at Mississippi State for the first time since 2012. Tennessee was led by then-head coach Derek Dooley. Prediction: W Location: Davis Wade Stadium (Starkville, Mississippi) Date: Sept. 27 Open date Date: Oct. 4 Heupel in games after an open date at Tennessee: Nov. 6, 2021: Tennessee 45, Kentucky 42 (Lexington, Kentucky) Oct. 8, 2022: Tennessee 40, LSU 13 (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) Oct. 14, 2023: Tennessee 20, Texas A&M 13 (Knoxville, Tennessee) Oct. 5, 2024: Arkansas 19, Tennessee 14 (Fayetteville, Arkansas) Nov. 2, 2024: Tennessee 28, Kentucky 18 (Knoxville, Tennessee) Arkansas Razorbacks Tennessee suffered its first loss after an open date under Heupel at Arkansas in 2024. The Razorbacks last played at Neyland Stadium in 2015. Prediction: W Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee) Date: Oct. 11 Alabama Crimson Tide Tennessee defeated the Crimson Tide, 24-17, at Neyland Stadium in 2024. Tennessee's last win at Alabama was in 2003. Heupel is 2-2 against Alabama as the Vols' head coach. Prediction: L Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa, Alabama) Date: Oct. 18 Kentucky Wildcats Tennessee will play back-to-back road games against Alabama and Kentucky in 2025. The Vols are averaging 39.0 points per game at Kentucky under Heupel. Prediction: W Location: Kroger Field (Lexington, Kentucky) Date: Oct. 25 Oklahoma Sooners Tennessee defeated the Sooners, 25-15, in 2024 for Heupel's return to Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners will play at Neyland Stadium for the first time since 2015. Prediction: L Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee) Date: Nov. 1 Open date Date: Nov. 8 Heupel in games after an open date at Tennessee: Nov. 6, 2021: Tennessee 45, Kentucky 42 (Lexington, Kentucky) Oct. 8, 2022: Tennessee 40, LSU 13 (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) Oct. 14, 2023: Tennessee 20, Texas A&M 13 (Knoxville, Tennessee) Oct. 5, 2024: Arkansas 19, Tennessee 14 (Fayetteville, Arkansas) Nov. 2, 2024: Tennessee 28, Kentucky 18 (Knoxville, Tennessee) New Mexico State Aggies Tennessee and New Mexico State will play for the first time in 2025. The Aggies went 3-9 (2-6 C-USA) in 2024 under first-year head coach Tony Sanchez. Prediction: W Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee) Date: Nov. 15 Florida Gators Tennessee defeated the Gators, 23-17 in overtime, last season. The Vols have not won at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium since 2003 under then-head coach Phillip Fulmer. Prediction: L Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Gainesville, Florida) Date: Nov. 22 Vanderbilt Commodores Tennessee has won six straight games in the in-state SEC series. The Vols won at Vanderbilt, 36-23, in 2024 to clinch an appearance in the College Football Playoff. Prediction: W Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee) Date: Nov. 29 Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2026 IMG Academy football prospect to visit Tennessee
2026 IMG Academy football prospect to visit Tennessee Tennessee is looking to expand its 2026 football recruiting class. Three-star interior offensive lineman G'nivre Carr scheduled a visit to the Vols. "G'Nivre Carr has locked in official visits to Tennessee and Alabama, Steve Wiltfong reports," On3 announced. The 6-foot-4, 336-pound prospect is from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. 247Sports ranks Carr as the No. 40 interior offensive lineman in 2026. Tennessee offered him a scholarship on Aug. 24, 2023. Carr unofficially visited Tennessee for the Orange & White Game at Neyland Stadium on April 12. Other SEC schools to offer Carr a scholarship include South Carolina, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State and Kentucky. Tennessee has seven commitments for its 2026 recruiting class: Quarterback Faizon Brandon, wide receiver Tyreek King, tight end Carson Sneed, wide receiver Tyran Evans, linebacker Braylon Outlaw, offensive lineman Gabriel Osenda and defensive lineman C.J. Edwards. Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
USA Today
21-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Update on UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar transferring to Tennessee football
Update on UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar transferring to Tennessee football Fifth-year head coach Josh Heupel said Tennessee would search for a quarterback in the NCAA transfer portal following the Orange & White Game on April 12. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava entered the transfer portal following spring football. After his departure, Tennessee has two signal-callers on roster in redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and early enrollee true freshman George MacIntyre. "You're trying to get your roster where it needs to be to give yourself the best chance when you get to kick off in the fall," Heupel said. "Certainly, with only two scholarship players at the quarterback position, we're going to have to find another gap." On Monday, Chris Low of ESPN announced UCLA senior quarterback Joey Aguilar will sign with the Vols in 2025. "The quarterback trade is complete," Low said. "Joey Aguilar plans to sign with Tennessee after transferring to UCLA from Appalachian State in the winter portal, sources tell ESPN. He trades places with Nico Iamaleava, who transferred from Tennessee to UCLA in the current portal. Back to business as usual." READ: Joey Aguilar by the numbers Aguilar transferred to UCLA after the 2024 season from Appalachian State. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound quarterback played at Appalachian State from 2023-24 after transferring from Diablo Valley Community College. Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
