Nico Iamaleava’s second act at UCLA is already carrying a lot of weight, and next season looks like the one that will tell the real story.
He arrived in Westwood last year looking for a reset after the turmoil at Tennessee, but the change of scenery didn’t exactly deliver the clean landing he wanted. UCLA stumbled to a 3-9 record, DeShaun Foster was fired after the Bruins dropped their first three games, and Iamaleava’s numbers reflected the mess around him: 1,928 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
There’s a different setup now. Bob Chesney is in charge, and Iamaleava is expected to have far more help around him than he did a year ago. That’s part of why Sports Illustrated’s Zach Koons placed him at No. 26 in his ranking of every quarterback in the Power Four - just outside the top 25, but still in the conversation.
Koons pointed to both the rough season and the constant change around Iamaleava as reasons for the ranking. As he wrote, “It’s not surprising that Iamaleava’s counting stats dipped significantly at UCLA given the talent around him and general turmoil within the program. And for the third straight season, the former five-star recruit will be working with a new head coach and play-caller.”
Even in a lost season, Iamaleava showed enough to keep the optimism alive. When the offensive line struggled, he made plays with his legs and found ways to extend drives. Koons highlighted that rushing element as a key reason Iamaleava isn’t buried near the bottom of the quarterback pool.
“Bob Chesney would be wise to lean into Iamaleava’s rushing ability, seeing as he ran for 505 yards on 4.5 yards per carry in 2025, and Chesney is fresh off of maximizing a mobile quarterback in Barnett. The sort of performance that Iamaleava had in the Penn State upset last season (70.8% completions on 24 attempts for 166 yards and two touchdowns; 16 carries for 128 yards) is the goal to replicate.”
Now the supporting cast looks stronger across the board. Wayne Knight is in the backfield, Landon Ellis and Leland Smith give him targets at receiver, and the offensive line has been upgraded. Add in a defense that should be better, and the stage is set for Iamaleava to make the jump UCLA has been waiting for.
In Other News...
UCLA Suddenly Has A Major Scooter Jackson Question Before Fall Camp
Scooter Jackson was one of the more encouraging pieces of UCLAs secondary last season, the kind of versatile defensive back the Bruins could count on after he moved from safety to nickel and settled in as a steady presence. His play made him look like a key part of what UCLA wanted to build in the back end, which is why his absence from spring camp stood out immediately.
The concern has only grown with fall camp approaching, since Jackson was ruled academically ineligible in the spring and has not been practicing. Bob Chesney said there is no update on Jacksons status for the fall, which leaves UCLA waiting on a player it expected to lean on heavily in 2026 and facing the possibility that he will not be on the field when camp opens. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Just Entered A Recruiting Battle Bruins Fans Know Too Well
UCLA has jumped into the mix for one of the more closely watched guards in the 2027 class, as the 6-foot-1 scorer from Hanover, Mass., trims his list to a final group that already includes a whos who of national programs. The Bruins are among the eight schools still standing for the No. 33 overall recruit, a player finishing his career at The Masters Academy International who has built his reputation on shot-making, ball handling and a competitive edge.
The race is still in an early stage, though, and the visit calendar has not yet started to separate the contenders. He has taken only one official visit so far, to Marquette, leaving UCLA and the rest of the group with plenty of runway to make their case as they try to sell a guard who will have to adjust his game at the next level because of his size. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA May Finally Have The Receiver Nico Iamaleava Needs
Brian Rowe has spent the offseason turning heads in Westwood, and UCLAs staff sounds increasingly convinced the South Carolina transfer can be more than just another piece in the receiver room. Head coach Bob Chesney has pointed to Rowes strength, his growing command of the playbook and a series of impressive catches in practice as signs that his development is moving faster than expected, which matters for a Bruins offense looking to give Nico Iamaleava a reliable target.
Rowes rise has been one of the more encouraging notes of UCLAs summer work, especially with Chesney also praising defensive end Sahir West for developing at a high level. The bigger question now is whether those flashes translate once the games count, because if Rowe keeps building on what he has shown in drills and scrimmages, he could become the kind of receiver this offense has been missing for years. [Read more 🡒]