What Does UCLA's Defense Think of Iamaleava Thru Camp Week 1?

The offense and defense are meant to compete, but Bruins defenders can't hide their praise for the transfer quarterback.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) warming up at the NCAA college football game against Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As UCLA passes the week-one mark of its fall camp in Costa Mesa, Bruins players have nothing but praise for their star transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Iamaleava made waves when he transferred from Tennessee to Westwood. Now that the dust has (sort of) settled, his teammates are just happy he's wearing the same uniform as him ahead of the season. Even the defense, which is supposed to compete against Iamaleava, had great stuff to say about him.

"He's a great quarterback," Bruins transfer linebacker Isaiah Chisom said. "It's great to have him on the team. As fall camp keeps going, he's going to keep on getting better, but he looked really good [Wednesday]. … I would definitely say Nico [is a leader on the team] even though he's new. ... Just confidence. You can tell that he knows he's good. He's about his business."

"Gunslinger for sure," transfer safety Key Lawrence added. "And everything's explosive, everything's precise. Especially with Tino [Sunseri] and complementing each other, everything is just flowing pretty well."

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.

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.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) looks for an open receiver during the NCAA college football playoff game against Ohio State on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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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