According to a report, Tennessee is expected to save significantly by replacing Nico Iamaleava with Joey Aguilar for the 2025 season.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel notes that Aguilar was originally set to make $1.2 million at UCLA for the upcoming year. However, after reaching a deal with the Volunteers, Thamel reports that Aguilar will earn a salary “close” to that $1.2 million figure while now suiting up for Tennessee.\
The deal that Joey Aguilar is finalizing to go to Tennessee is similar financially to the deal that he’d previously agreed to at UCLA, per ESPN sources. He had $1.2 million left at UCLA on his deal, and his new deal at Tennessee is close to that. pic.twitter.com/USNXmaDRdK
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 22, 2025
Here’s where the cost savings factor in: According to Yahoo!’s Ross Dellenger, Nico Iamaleava was set to earn $2.4 million from Tennessee in 2025 before he and the program parted ways earlier this month.
Tennessee's deal with ex-UCLA QB Joey Aguilar, if finalized, is expected to pay him significantly less (7 figures less) than Nico Iamaleava’s scheduled $2.4 million compensation, sources tell @YahooSports.
Iamaleava’s UCLA compensation was also not expected to match his UT pay.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) April 21, 2025
The reporting indicates that Tennessee might be saving up to $1.2 million in NIL money by opting for Joey Aguilar over Nico Iamaleava. However, the exact numbers haven’t been confirmed and may not be made public anytime soon.
It remains to be seen whether Tennessee will reinvest those potential savings into strengthening other areas of its 2025 roster or choose to hold onto the funds for the next offseason. So far, the Vols haven’t been especially aggressive in the transfer portal, despite the departure of several key starters from last year’s squad. Aguilar is the fifth transfer to commit to Josh Heupel and the Vols this offseason.
As for Iamaleava, his NIL compensation at UCLA hasn’t been disclosed, though Dellenger notes it’s expected to be less than the $2.4 million he would have earned had he stayed in Knoxville.
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