Iamaleava returns to UCLA

(News4UsOnline) – The one positive for new UCLA football coach Bob Chesney is that quarterback Nico Iamaleava is staying put. 

Iamaleava, who left the University of Tennessee to attend school and play football at UCLA, is returning for another season, according to a post Iamaleava shared on his Instagram profile. 

“No place like home. Back with my brothers,” Iamaleava said in the post. “Same vision. Same goals. Same grind. Locked in. Time to work!”

The news of Iamaleava returning is huge relief for the Bruins and certainly welcomed news. Last season, Iamaleava showed flashes of greatness and the possibilities the football program has should the former Warren High School star be able to get enough talent to surround him. 

By arriving in Westwood, Iamaleava automatically gave the UCLA program a more high-profile visibility it had not had in quite some time. He also happens to be a pretty good quarterback as well.  

In his first full season for the Bruins, Iamaleava completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Iamaleava also rushed for 505 yards and another four scores during his breakout season with the Bruins. 

Prior to joining UCLA, Iamaleava spent two seasons at Tennessee. As a redshirt freshman, Iamaleava completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns. While playing for the Vols, Iamaleava averaged 7.8 yards per throw. 

Those numbers dipped last season. For the 2025 college football season, Iamaleava only managed to get 6.0 yards on his throws. The highlight of the 2025 season for Iamaleava and the Bruins came in the fifth win of the season. 

A huge underdog to then No. 7 Penn State, Iamaleava led the Bruins to a 42-37 upset win over the Nittany Lions. Iamaleava completed 70 percent of his passes, going 17 of 24 for 166 yards and two touchdowns through the air. 

While he had a solid performance throwing the football, Iamaleava did his real damage on the ground running the football. Iamaleava rushed for 128 yards on 16 carries and scored three more times in perhaps his best day as a collegiate student-athlete. 

Hailing from Long Beach, California, Iamaleava bypassed going pro and enter into the 2026 NFL Draft to stay at UCLA. Iamaleava is considered to be one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the Big Ten Conference. 

Cover Art/Lead Photo: Pasadena, CA – Quarterback Nico Iamaleava and the UCLA Bruins defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions in a Big Ten Conference college football game played at the Rose Bowl Stadium on Oct. 4, 2025. Iamaleava accounted for five touchdowns in UCLA’s 42-37 win. Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman / News4usOnline