The departure of junior quarterback Nico Iamaleava from Tennessee was riddled with NIL and contract-related drama. Now at UCLA, Iamaleava’s focus is on the season ahead, and analysts like David Pollack are rooting for his success with the Bruins.
Iamaleava finished last year with a 70.5 QBR, No. 9 among the 15 SEC quarterbacks. This will be his first endeavor into Big Ten Football, but On3’s Andy Staples expects the quarterback to have a strong season with UCLA.
Staples released his preseason Big Ten quarterback rankings Tuesday, with Iamaleava coming in at No. 4.
“Iamaleava’s move from Tennessee to UCLA was the story of the offseason, but now we have to separate the off-field drama from the actual QB,” Staples wrote. “At Tennessee in 2024, Iamaleava was good but not great. He averaged 7.8 yards per attempt but would have averaged more if he didn’t frequently overthrew deep balls. But he did take care of the ball — only five interceptions to 19 touchdown passes — and he also proved a willing and capable runner when necessary.”
Ranked above Iamaleava and leading the list are Penn State’s Drew Allar, Illinois’ Luke Altmeyer and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. The Bruins are scheduled to face both the Nittany Lions and the Hoosiers, and will have another tough conference matchup against Ohio State.
Despite the competition in the Big Ten, Staples sees a lot of room for growth in Iamaleava.
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“Iamaleava has the tools to be one of the nation’s best QBs,” Staples wrote. “He’ll have to pick up new UCLA offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri’s offense quickly, but if he can, he can change UCLA’s fortunes.”