Get used to the thought of a faculty soccer participant re-signing with the workforce they performed for within the earlier season.
It is an concept that will have appeared outlandish even only a few years in the past, however the NIL and switch portal period has principally created a free company of kinds each offseason in faculty soccer.
Gamers are “signing” one-year NIL offers after which evaluating issues as they arrive.
The newest to try this is reportedly UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who has determined that he’ll play one other season in Southern California.
This, in accordance with Hayes Fawcett of On3, who’s reporting that Iamaleva has “re-signed” with the Bruins.
Principally, he is determined to agree on one other NIL deal.
Remember, these offers are barely definitely worth the paper they’re written on when it comes to ensures for both occasion. Neither are these “agreements” between participant and college.
The perfect instance of this concept is, satirically, Iamaleava, who began his profession as a five-star freshman for the Tennessee Volunteers. Final offseason, his illustration and the brass at Tennessee could not come collectively on a NIL fee quantity, which induced Iamaleava to hit the switch portal within the spring.
Nico Iamaleava sticking round with UCLA Bruins for 2026
It was an enormous story within the faculty soccer world as a result of Iamaleava had simply led Tennessee to the inaugural 12-team Faculty Soccer Playoff.
Paradoxically, Iamaleava transferred to UCLA, and the quarterback at UCLA on the time, Joey Aguilar, transferred to Tennessee in what was basically a quarterback commerce between the 2 applications. It was a wild spring for Aguilar. He had transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA and hadn’t even performed an official snap for the Bruins earlier than transferring to Tennessee.
That is life within the switch portal period, so how did it wind up for each quarterbacks?
Tennessee went 8-4, and Aguilar threw for 3,444 yards and 24 touchdowns in comparison with 10 interceptions. He additionally rushed for 3 touchdowns.
UCLA went 3-9 and fired head coach DeShaun Foster early within the season.
Iamaleava threw for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns in comparison with seven interceptions whereas speeding for 505 yards and 4 scores.
