Insider: Bruins Still Need to Improve Beyond Iamaleava

Greg McElroy thinks there's still a ton of work to be done despite UCLA adding Nico Iamaleava.

Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Nico Iamaleava and UCLA shook the college football landscape when the rising redshirt sophomore transferred from Tennessee to Westwood in April.

Since then, Iamaleava and the Bruin have been one of the most compelling stories entering the season, receiving attention on both sides of the spectrum.

Greg McElroy, college football insider for ESPN and host of the Always College Football show, still thinks UCLA needs to improve beyond just adding Iamaleava:

"If you look at last year, first six games? Not good at all. Last six games? There was a lot of growth on, really, kind of, both sides of the ball. You pick off three wins against bowl teams in Rutgers, Nebraska, and Iowa. You narrowly (lose) against USC. There’s a lot of things to kind of like about what could be heading for UCLA.

"New offensive coordinator in Tino Sunseri. I absolutely love this hire. I love that they went out and got Nico Iamaleava. Nico Iamaleava obviously did an amazing job at times last year for Tennessee, but there are also a lot of things that he missed. He’s got to take a big step this year because the supporting cast is one that I’m not super familiar with – a lot of new faces, a lot of new pieces. And then, defensively, lose some of their best players from a year ago.

"The schedule is also a beast – Penn State, at Ohio State, at USC, Utah in the non-conference, Nebraska, Washington, at Indiana. The schedule is really, really difficult,” said McElroy. “And don’t lose sight of the game aton September 6th. That could be a much tougher game than people probably want to point to right now.”

Iamaleava's Journey to Westwood

Iamaleava made his way to the Bruins after a public dispute with the Volunteers over his name, image and likeness resulted in his departure. Iamaleava was at the wrong end of negative public discourse and is now one of the most polarizing college football talents ahead of the next season.

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) throws during the second half of the College Football Playoff first round game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Dec. 22, 2024. Ohio State won 42-17. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

To amplify things, Iamaleava joins a revamped UCLA culture under DeShaun Foster ahead of their second season in the Big Ten Conference. Foster finished his debut coaching season with a 5-7 record but has since changed the trajectory of the program in his first full offseason, conjuring up UCLA's best recruiting class in over a decade.

This coming 2025 season, however, will be highlighted by Iamaleava. Despite the headlines, he had a standout freshman season with the Vols, leading them to a 10-3 record and their first College Football Playoff appearance. Naturally, the UCLA signal-caller is the Bruins' most sought-after prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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