UCLA's Nico Iamaleava reveals real reason for controversial exit from Tennessee

Nico Iamaleava captured all the headlines earlier in the college football offseason for his controversial exit from Tennessee that landed him at UCLA.

Now, the Bruins' new quarterback has spoken up to explain himself.

At Big Ten Media Days, Iamaleava minimized the significance that NIL money had in his choice.

Instead, he said he wanted to be closer to home.

“Just false reports that made me not feel comfortable in the position that I was in,” Iamaleava said. “But in the back of my head I always wanted to come back home. And be closer to my mom, closer to my dad. And you know, just have my family, their support at our games. In our Samoan culture we’re always together, and I think that’s the main thing for me, the driving factor for me to come back home.”

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Iamaleava said he didn't appreciate the reporting on the whole situation being framed around the money.

“Just false stuff about whether it was a financial thing or not,” Iamaleava said. “My driving factor to come back home was my family, and I hope every Tennessee fan understands that. That it was really one of the hardest decisions that I’ve had to make. But I had to do what was best for me and my family, and ultimately I wanted to come back home and be closer to my family."