Nico Iamaleava’s UCLA experiment didn’t turn out successful, as the Bruins finished 3-9 and head coach DeShaun Foster was fired after an embarrassing 0-3 start. However, Iamaleava decided to give the Bruins another shot, as he will suit up for new UCLA head coach Bob Chesney in 2026.
Bob Chesney Praises Nico Iamaleava’s Loyalty, Leadership Ahead of 2026 Season
In this exclusive interview with Bruin Report Online, Chesney talked about a variety of personnel groups heading into spring football, including the retention of Iamaleava for the 2026 season.
He explained that the quarterback has begun to show a deeper level of commitment to the program, especially through the leadership role he has developed within the team.
“Nico is one of those, obviously, as a leader,” Chesney said (9:04). “He is just at the beginning, you know, was trying to feel us out… figure out what his place is, and now he’s slowly in the front of the lines. He’s the one that we’ll call things out in the wait room, he’ll call them out on the field… just does really everything right up to this point in time.”
“I’m excited to get to see him finally get a chance to pull the trigger and execute some offense out here, which will be coming up in a few weeks from now. But he’s been nothing but you know exceptional up to this point in time,” Chesney added.
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Iamaleava passed for 1,928 yards with 13 touchdowns and 7 interceptions last season, ranking No. 75 nationally in PFSN’s College Football QB Impact Metric with a 78.5 score. However, this doesn’t necessarily define his caliber, as he had a strong 2024 season with Tennessee, throwing for 2,616 yards with 19 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions, and rushing for 358 yards with 3 touchdowns.
Chesney also remains sold on Iamaleava’s potential.
“What he does on the field speaks for itself,” Chesney said in an interview with On3. “He was under quite a bit of duress last year. He had some weapons, not a ton, and really found himself in a spot where he had to create a lot of things after the play with his legs. He did a decent job of that as the year went on… got himself back up and went right back in that game.”
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Iamaleava also helped lead Tennessee to the College Football Playoff in 2024, and his playoff experience could pair well with Chesney’s own postseason success. Chesney led James Madison to a 12-2 record in 2025 and helped the program reach its first College Football Playoff appearance in just its fourth season at the FBS level.
Chesney has already added several offensive playmakers, including running back Wayne Knight and wide receiver Leland Smith, to bolster his quarterback’s supporting cast.
