Nico Iamaleava enters the 2026 season as the biggest swing piece in UCLA’s rebuild.
That’s a sharp turn from where the Bruins were last fall. UCLA stumbled out of the gate at 0-3, then moved on from former head coach DeShaun Foster and defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe. The team managed to win three of its next four, but the slide returned fast: five straight losses to close the year, a 3-9 finish, and a spot among the Big Ten’s worst teams.
The program responded by hiring Bob Chesney, who arrived after a strong second season at James Madison. He had just guided the Dukes to a Sun Belt Conference Championship and a College Football Playoff appearance, and now he’s tasked with turning UCLA around. Chesney has already reshaped much of the roster for 2026 through the transfer portal, with major turnover at wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker and in the secondary.
But one thing stayed the same: Iamaleava remains the starting quarterback.
That makes him the central figure in everything UCLA hopes to do this season. He’ll have plenty of attention on him, and for good reason. His first year in Westwood didn’t go the way anyone around the program wanted.
Iamaleava arrived at UCLA after a very public divorce from the University of Tennessee over NIL, then came back home to California to suit up for the Bruins. The numbers tell the story of a rough season. After throwing for 2,616 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions at Tennessee, he finished last year at UCLA with 1,928 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The offense as a whole never got on track, averaging just 18 points per game. That left Iamaleava with plenty of criticism, including “bust” talk from some corners.
Chesney clearly saw the need to help his quarterback, and he attacked the portal accordingly. UCLA brought in Leland Smith and Landon Ellis to give Iamaleava more help on the outside.
The offensive line should also look different, with Jordan Davis and Hall Schmidt set to start at tackle. And in Wayne Knight, Chesney added one of the best group of five running backs in the transfer portal to the backfield.
With that kind of overhaul around him, the pressure on Iamaleava is obvious. UCLA has built the roster to give him a better shot at success, and the expectation is simple: play better, and the Bruins should be better too.
A strong season from Iamaleava could put UCLA on track for a bowl game. Another step back, and his future as the Bruins’ starter could come into question.
In Other News...
UCLA May Have Finally Found Nico Iamaleava's No. 1 Target
UCLAs receiver room has been one of the biggest questions around Nico Iamaleava, and Bob Chesney has spent the offseason trying to answer it by adding transfer help. The Bruins needed more proven options on the outside, and spring practice has started to show which newcomers might be ready to step into meaningful roles.
One player who has clearly caught the staffs attention is Brian Rowe Jr., with offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy pointing to his versatility and the way he has handled the spring workload. He is part of a crowded mix of transfer and returning receivers all trying to carve out a place in the offense, but the early signs suggest UCLA may have at least one target emerging for Iamaleava as the Bruins keep sorting out who can separate in a rebuilt group. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Fall Camp Outlook Suddenly Rests On One Position Group
Bob Chesney has spent the offseason remaking UCLAs roster for 2026, and the scale of the turnover is hard to miss. With 42 transfer additions and 20 freshmen coming in, the Bruins have new faces all over the depth chart, and the early read on the roster is that several groups should look noticeably stronger, especially up front on both lines, at receiver and in the secondary.
Even with that influx of help, fall camp still seems to hinge on one spot more than any other. The quarterback room remains the biggest question, and how that group settles in will shape how much those upgraded pieces around it can matter once the season starts. For a team that has clearly invested in building more balance and more depth, the next few weeks will go a long way toward showing whether the offense can finally match the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Assistant Just Gave Bruins Fans Another Reason To Trust Europe
Nemanja Yogi Jovanovic keeps giving UCLA a useful reminder that the Bruins reach does not stop at the Pacific. The assistant coach, who also runs Serbias U20 national team, just guided his country to a silver medal at the U20 European Championships, another sign that his connections and credibility overseas are more than a nice extra on the staff. Since joining UCLA in 2023, he has brought a deep background in both the U.S. and Europe, and that blend has become part of the programs broader recruiting pitch.
For UCLA, the value goes beyond one summer tournament run. Jovanovics profile helps the Bruins stay in the conversation with international prospects, especially in Serbia, where the program has already been linked with players such as Nikola Kusturica, Filip Jovic and Sergej Macura. A coach who can build trust abroad while working inside the college game is a real asset, and UCLA appears to be leaning into that advantage more than ever. [Read more 🡒]