How Nico Iamaleava Is Blocking Out the Noise

Few players in college football are being talked about more heading into the 2025 season than UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

He's getting it from both sides: good and bad. But, after departing from Tennessee after a NIL dispute, the bad surely jumps out more. Criticism of how he handled the off-the-field circumstances started to bleed into expectations on the field. But the redshirt sophomore isn't worried about that.

UCL — Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava during Tennessee's game against Chattanooga in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. | Brianna Paciorka / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In a sit-down interview with Ashley Adamson and Yogi Roth during the B1G Network's behind-the-scenes of UCLA's training camp, Iamaleava discussed how he's blocking out the noise and worrying about what people who don't know him think about him.

"For the people in the building and guys that really know me and know who I am, a lot of the stuff in the outside world, I can't control," Iamaleava said. "But I can only control what I do on a day-to-day basis and how I carry myself around my teammates. My teammates know me and what I bring to the table, and [I] can't really focus on the outside world."

No matter how hard he tries, though, people will always be talking about Iamaleava ahead of the season, and the microscope will only grow larger once he takes his first snap in the blue and against Utah on Aug. 30.

Iamaleava Among Most Interesting People in CFB

The Athletic's Joe Rexrode released a list of the 20 most interesting college football people for the 2025 season, and Iamaleava made the cut, along with the likes of Arch Manning, Bill Belichick and even Jon Gruden.

Here's what Rexrode had to say about Iamaleava and why he is one of the most interesting quarterbacks in the sport this season:

"He’s been one of the most-watched players in the sport since the groundbreaking NIL deal that brought him to Tennessee. His first full season on the field was pretty good, not great, but then he didn’t have much great around him either. So whether Iamaleava’s camp was complaining more about a pay raise or about offensive roster support after the season, they handled things terribly, and he ended up in a worse situation. Of course, if his loss proves UCLA’s gain and he can give a jolt of life to a sluggish program while looking more like the NFL prospect he’s supposed to be, Iamaleavawill have Vol Twitter reeling."

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Iamaleava Among Most Interesting People in CFB

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