REPORT: UCLA Written Off in Big Ten Rankings

Landing Nico Iamaleava wasn't enough to convince one expert that UCLA that the Bruins will make a leap in Year 2 in the Big Ten.

Nov 8, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster on the sidelines during the second half against the the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UCLA football was one of the Big Ten's biggest winners of the transfer portal this offseason, largely due to the addition of quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

The signing immediately elevated the Bruins from a team in rebuild mode to a team that can compete with most in the Big Ten.

247Sports' Carter Bahns doesn't seem to think so, though.

Bahns stunningly ranked UCLA No. 15 on his recent "Big Ten football power rankings."

"The outlook for Year 2 of the DeShaun Foster era just got a little brighter," Bahns wrote. "Iamaleava is on board after his highly scrutinized exit from Tennessee, and off-the-field drama aside, he is an upgrade at quarterback for UCLA. The problem is, to whom will he throw the ball?

"The Bruins lost their top pass-catcher to the NFL and a pair of veteran wideouts to the transfer portal, and there is not much help on the way. Foster will rely on a lot of new faces in his second year at the helm, for better or worse."

UCLA went and got two wide receivers from the transfer portal -- Mikey Matthews from Cal and Jaedon Wilson from Arkansas -- and while they don't jump off the page, the right quarterback, like Imaleava, can make any receiver he wants look good.

The Bruins are also returning Kwazi Gilmer, who was fourth on the team in receiving last season with 345 yards on 31 receptions.

UCLA may have solved its run game issues as well, replenishing the offensive line with a group that could turn things around. It also just recently landed former Cal running back Jaivian Thomas, who rushed for 626 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

Defensively, UCLA restocked the unit admirably after losing Carson Schwesinger, Oluwafemi Oladejo, Kain Medrano and Jay Toia to the NFL Draft.

On top of all that, the Bruins have several new coaches, including a new offensive coordinator in Tino Sunseri, who comes from a program (Indiana) that exceeded expectations and made the College Football Playoff in a stacked Big Ten.

If Iamaleava's receivers are UCLA's greatest concern, perhaps a ranking of 15th out of 18 teams is a little outlandish. Better to have that than a mediocre quarterback with quality targets, which was the case last season.

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