Nico Iamaleava Should Vastly Improve for UCLA Next Season

UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava has had quite the tumultuous college career, but 2026 should mark an improvement from 2025.

He had a strong 2024 season with Tennessee. The redshirt freshman threw for 2,616 yards with 19 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions through the air, and 358 rushing yards with 3 touchdowns on the ground. He helped lead Tennessee to a College Football Playoff appearance, where they would go on to lose to Ohio State.

nio — Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) carries the ball against the Southern California Trojans in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

That following offseason, Iamaleava transferred to UCLA, with NIL interests being a key factor. That decision did not pay off immediately, as the Bruins went a paltry 3-9 and fired former head coach DeShaun Foster in the middle of the season. His individual stats also took a dip, as he threw 1,928 yards with 13 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in 11 games in 2025.

Iamaleava Looks To Improve in 2026

Nov 22, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) is pressured by Washington Huskies linebacker Zach Durfee (5) during the first half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After an underwhelming season, the Bruins opted to make a change at the top, hiring former James Madison head coach Bob Chesney to take over the program. Chesney led the Dukes to a 12-2 record in 2025 and helped lead the program to its first College Football Playoff appearance in just its fourth season in FBS.

With Chesney taking over, Iamaleava opted to run it back with the Bruins for 2026 instead of hitting the transfer portal again. If everything goes according to plan, Iamaleava should see a sizable improvement next season with a better roster after Chesney hit the portal hard.

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head football coach Bob Chesney is introduced during the basketball game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Chesney Building Around His Quarterback

Chesney has brought in several playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. Some of the most notable additions include running back Wayne Knight, who followed Chesney from JMU, and wide receivers Leland Smith and Semaj Morgan. These pieces should help make the Bruins offense much more formidable than the version of itself from 2025, when they scored just 18.2 points per game.

Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; James Madison Dukes running back Wayne Knight (3) rushes as Oregon Ducks defensive back Aaron Flowers (21) defends during the second quarter at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

If the Bruins can get the version of Iamaleava that he was when he was at Tennessee, it gives the team one of the more talented power 4 quarterbacks in the country, which also helps increase the Bruins’ ceiling for next season as a team looking to improve.

UCLA hasn’t been to a bowl game in either of their two seasons in the Big Ten, and are just 8-16 combined during that span. With Chesney taking over, and Iamaleava returning, the Bruins are a safe bet to improve next season.