UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava had a mixed bag of a first season under center for the Bruins after transferring from the Tennessee Volunteers last spring.
Iamaleava opted to remain at UCLA during the January transfer window despite the mid-season firing of coach DeShaun Foster, who was responsible for bringing him to the program.
Next season, Iamaleava will play under new coach Bob Chesney, who was hired after leading the James Madison Dukes to the College Football Playoff last season.
Analyst Details Nico Iamaleava’s Value to Bob Chesney
During Monday’s segment of the “Joel Klatt Show,” Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt dismissed the polarizing nature of Tennessee fans’ relationship with Iamaleava vis-Ã -vis his obvious talent and upside for Chesney’s Bruins rebuild next season.
“Bob Chesney is a very good football coach,” Klatt said. “He doesn’t have to start over at the most important position. He has got a two-year starting quarterback. One at Tennessee, one at UCLA. Nico Iamaleava is 25 starts in, he’s a five-star player and if that Penn State game taught us anything, I know Tennessee fans don’t like this guy.
“And a lot of fans don’t like him because of everything that happened last offseason. Fact remains, that was not a good football team, except for him. He was the one that would give them a chance. His ability to run it and now you surround him with some better players. The schedule is manageable. Trend up for the Bruins.”
In his sole season at Rocky Top, Iamaleava led coach Josh Heupel’s Volunteers to a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff field. He left Tennessee under a cloud due to a NIL dispute over his salary and even missing training before the Volunteers’ spring game, leading to his polarizing perception among the program’s passionate fans.
KEEP READING: National Analyst Declares ‘There Really Isn’t Any Light’ for FSU HC Mike Norvell
Chesney has revamped the Bruins’ struggling offensive line, convincing talented interior lineman Eugene Brooks to return while securing the services of Jordan Davis, Hall Schmidt, and All-Conference transfer Riley Robell from James Madison via the transfer portal.
With 41 portal additions (10 from JMU), Chesney’s Bruins were ranked No. 11 in the country, just behind the Texas Longhorns, as the former James Madison coach has retooled his roster ahead of a pivotal Big Ten season for the program.
Iamaleava earned a PFSN College QB Impact score of 78.5 in 2025 after tallying 1,928 passing yards with a 13:7 TD:INT while adding 505 rushing yards and 4 additional scores during the Bruins’ difficult 3-9 season.
