How UCLA's Nico Iamaleava Can Rise Up NFL Draft Boards

Nico Iamaleava is going to have a much better season than last year with the Bruins.

Last offseason, Iamaleava had a very public divorce from the University of Tennessee and, after entering the transfer portal, returned home to California to play for the Bruins.

In his first year with UCLA, he did not have the year he wanted, throwing for less than 2,000 yards (1,928), 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. While his passing stat line wasn't great, he took a step up in his running, as he had a career-high 505 rushing yards on 112 carries and four touchdowns.

Heading into this season, he will have a coach in Bob Chesney, who will build on his strengths. Chensey has done a great job rebuilding this roster, and Nico Iamaleava is a prime candidate to not only have a bounce-back year but also play well enough to rise up draft boards.

The Ringer Thinks Iamaleava Could Rise Up Draft Boards

On Todd McShay's podcast on The Ringer, hosts Todd McShay and Steve Muench discussed the loaded quarterback class for the 2027 NFL Draft. McShay asked Muench who he could see having a Joe Burrow or Cam Ward level rise into the first round because of their play in the fall. Muench's first response was Iamaleava.

"I'm going with UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Think about what happened with him since Tennessee got smacked by Ohio State in that playoff game. All of the NIL stuff with him, is he going to play, is he not going to play? Tennessee cuts bait," Muench said.

"The whole situation didn't reflect well on him and his team. He then goes to a UCLA program that is basically in shambles and kind of falls apart. The coach gets fired in the middle of the season. So what's the situation now? We're a little bit removed from what happened at Tennessee.”

May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“Bob Chesney comes in from James Madison and calms everything down. You get an offensive coordinator in Dean Kennedy, who I think, really importantly, works well with mobile quarterbacks, and I'm not sure people realize how well Nico moves. He rushed for 500 yards last year...He has a live arm with a good frame. He's a talented player, and this is now maybe the best situation he's been in in at least the last two years, maybe ever in his career."

How Iamaleava Can Play His Way Up Boards

Bob Chesney has been working to rebuild this roster since becoming the Bruins' head coach. Through the transfer portal, he has built the 11th-ranked portal class according to Rivals and has rebuilt not only the weapons on the outside and in the backfield, but also the offensive line.

Iamaleava was one of the top players in the country coming out of high school, and since coming to college, he has not lived up to those expectations. With Bob Chesney at UCLA, he finally has a coach who builds the offense towards his strengths, using his legs and having an elite running game.

With weapons all around the field, Iamaleava should have a much better season with the Bruins compared to last season.

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