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NIL drama is brewing for the Arkansas football team and quarterback Madden Iamaleava, who just transferred to UCLA. Iamaleava is the brother of Nico Iamaleava, who transferred from Tennessee to UCLA just days before Madden. Madden hasn't played a snap of college football yet as he is a class of 2025 recruit, and he committed to Arkansas after already being committed to UCLA. He spent a few months with the program during spring ball and collected some NIL money, and then he left. Now, Arkansas wants that money back.
“NEWS: Arkansas's NIL collective has sent two demand letters to players asking to fulfill buyout clauses, source tells
@FOS,” Amanda Christovich said in a post. “The AD's comments yesterday were referring to multiple players who left before NIL contracts expired, including Madden Iamaleava.”
According to a report from On3, Arkansas is looking to get $200,000 back from Madden Iamaleava.
“NEW: Arkansas' NIL Collective is demanding roughly $200k back from transfer QB Madden Iamaleava, @PeteNakos_ reports,” On3 said in a post.
Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek addressed the situation in a statement, and he is supporting the NIL collective as it looks to bring money back from Iamaleava.
“I have spoken with the leadership team at Arkansas Edge and expressed my support in their pursuit to enforce their rights under any agreement violated by our student-athletes moving forward,” the statement read. “We appreciate Edge’s investment in our student-athletes and acknowledge the enforcement of these agreements is vital in our new world of college athletics. We look forward to continued dialogue with all parties in resolving these.”
Madden Iamaleava was with the Arkansas football team for just a few months, and it was before he had ever taken a snap in a college football game. He obviously brought in a good haul of money during that time, but he might have to give it back.
Madden Iamaleava recruiting profile
Madden Iamaleava was a four-star recruit in the 2025 recruiting class. He was the #271 player in the class, the #22 QB and the #22 player in the state of California. He attended Long Beach Poly High School in Long Beach, CA.
“Iamaleava has had a strong junior season and showed he’s deserving of all the attention and early scholarships he received this off-season,” his scouting report reads. “Iamaleava didn’t start a game until this year after backing up his older brother Nico Iamaleava, who’s a freshman at Tennessee. Like his older brother, Iamaleava is a two-sport standout and a talented volleyball player but his future is definitely at quarterback. He has always had a strong arm but has made a nice jump in poise, accuracy and maturity. He shows dual-threat ability and although he doesn’t run a ton, he has very good pocket mobility and can extend plays. He’s a tough kid, highly competitive and as the game continues to slow down for him, he’ll make another big jump.”
Madden Iamaleave was committed to UCLA from May of 2024 until December before flipping to the Arkansas football team. Now, he is back with the Bruins.
