Where UCLA's Iamaleava Ranks in CFB Top 100

It's been quite a while since UCLA had someone under center with as many eyes and anticipation on them going into a season as Nico Iamaleava.

The Tennessee transfer quarterback made waves in the college football landscape when he left the Vols after a NIL dispute and made his way back to Southern California to be Westwood's main guy. That being said, Iamaleava is finding himself in conversations no Bruin has been in for a few seasons.

On3's Clark Brooks released a list of the Top 100 players in college football ahead of the season, and Iamaleava made the list, which is headlined by the likes of Caleb Downs, Dylan Stewart and Jeremiah Smith.

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

Brooks listed Iamaleava as the 86th-ranked player in the nation, and the 10th-ranked quarterback behind John Mateer, Cade Klubnik and Carson Beck, just to name a few.

Despite regularly being underrated as a team, UCLA and Iamaleava have some expectations ahead of them this season. Following a quality redshirt freshman season with the Vols, natural progression and a fresh start are among the many signs pointing towards Iamaleava having a stellar year in Westwood.

How Fall Camp Helped Iamaleava Get Comfortable

UCLA's two-week stay in Costa Mesa, CA, to kick off fall training camp gave the team loads of internal resources. From bonding to focus, DeShaun Foster's planned trip was a success, but it was also huge for Iamaleava.

"That fall camp was huge for me," Iamaleava said during a sit-down with Ashley Adamson and Yogi Roth for the B1G Network's behind-the-scenes of UCLA's training camp. "It definitely helped my comfort level in the offense and just taking more control of the offense. Yeah, that fall camp was a really big thing for me."

One thing that came to Foster's surprise during camp, when it comes to Iamaleava, is the redshirt sophomore's leadership.

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How Fall Camp Helped Iamaleava Get Comfortable

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