How UCLA's Nico Iamaleava Stacks Up Against Heisman Favorites

Midway through the college football season, Nico Iamaleava and the UCLA Bruins (2-4, 2-1 Big Ten) have endured one of the biggest turnarounds in the sport.

Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins helmets during pregame warmups before playing the Fresno State Bulldogs at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

So much so that the redshirt sophomore signal-caller started to quietly gain some Heisman Trophy traction following consecutive weeks of staunch performances.

Iamaleava's chances of winning the award are from a reality, considering the start of the season he and the Bruins had, but I thought it would be interesting to see how he's stacked up statistically with a few of the favorites to win the award at the halfway point of the season -- Carson Beck, Ty Simpson and Fernando Mendoza.

Iamaleava Compared To The Favorites

ucl — Oct 11, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) looks for an open receiver in the second quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

Total Yards:

Iamaleava: 1,469
Beck: 1,231
Simpson: 1,736
Mendoza: 1,556

Total Touchdowns:

Iamaleava: 13
Beck: 12
Simpson: 18
Mendoza: 19

Record:

Iamaleava: 2-4 (2-1 Big Ten)
Beck: 5-0 (1-0 ACC)
Simpson: 5-1 (3-0 SEC)
Mendoza: 6-0 (3-0 Big Ten)

ucl — Oct 4, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck (11) throws during the second half against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Passing Yards:

Iamaleava: 1,134
Beck: 1,231
Simpson: 1,678
Mendoza: 1,423

Passing Completion/Attempts:

Iamaleava: 114/172 (66.3%)
Beck: 102/139 (73.4%)
Simpson: 134/189 (70.9%)
Mendoza: 109/153 (71.2%)

Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) warms up before the game against the New Mexico Lobos at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Passing Touchdowns:

Iamaleava: 9
Beck: 11
Simpson: 16
Mendoza: 17

ucl — Oct 11, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) throws against the Missouri Tigers during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Interceptions:

Iamaleava: 3
Beck: 3
Simpson: 1
Mendoza: 2

Sacks:

Iamaleava: 14
Beck: 4
Simpson: 12
Mendoza: 6

Passer Rating:

Iamaleava: 135.4
Beck: 168.5
Simpson: 172.4
Mendoza: 183.4

ucl — Oct 11, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

ESPN QBR:

Iamaleava: 68.3
Beck: 85.0
Simpson: 81.5
Mendoza: 84.6

Rushing Yards:

Iamaleava: 335
Beck: 18
Simpson: 58
Mendoza: 133

Carries:

Iamaleava: 66
Beck: 13
Simpson: 40
Mendoza: 36

Yards Per Rush:

Iamaleava: 5.1
Beck: 1.4
Simpson: 1.5
Mendoza: 3.7

Rushing Touchdowns:

Iamaleava: 4
Beck: 1
Simpson: 2
Mendoza: 2

When you take a look at the numbers, it's evident that Iamaleava is further from the favorites than narratives would apply.

Iamaleava Garnering Heisman Trophy Consideration

ucl — UCLA's Nico Iamaleava warms up before the football game against Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nico Iamaleava has been slowly quieting many of his doubters over the course of the last two weeks, leading the UCLA Bruins to two quality, season-changing wins.

The redshirt sophomore was underperforming to start the season, but his incremental improvement -- along with some shakeup in the Bruins' coaching staff -- brought him to Saturday's dominant win over Michigan State.

Jul 29, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; A detailed view of UCLA Bruins helmet during Pac-12 Media Day at Novo Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

ESPN's Bill Connelly has been uniquely tracking Heisman Trophy candidates, and Iamaleava has garnered some consideration from the analytical wiz.

ucl — UCLA's Nico Iamaleava throws a pass against Michigan State during the third quarter on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Connelly has been using an F-1-esque weekly scoring system to rank Heisman candidates throughout the season. The Bruins' signal-caller is tied for seventh on the leaderboard.

Connelly's Ranking:

1. Ty Simpson, Alabama
2. Tayken Green, Arkansas
3. Demond Williams, Washington
4. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
5. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
6. Jayden Maiava, USC
T-7. Jonah Coleman, Washington
T-7. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
T-7. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
T-7. Diego Pavia, Purdue
T-7. Sawyer Robinson, Baylor

Sep 27, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) passes the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

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