Can UCLA Make the College Football Playoff After Losing QB Nico Iamaleava to Injury?
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UCLA is one of the biggest surprises through six weeks of the 2026 college football season. However, the Bruins’ playoff hopes suffered a major setback this week, as quarterback Nico Iamaleava suffered a knee injury against the Ducks that could sideline him for the rest of the year.
Under first-year coach Bob Chesney, the Bruins are off to a 5-0 start, which includes last Saturday’s 17-15 road upset of Oregon. Thanks to the surprising start and a favorable schedule, UCLA has moved into Athlon’s playoff projections entering Week 7 action.
Iamaleava ranked 13th in the Big Ten in quarterback rating but was having an overall solid year under Chesney and new play-caller Dean Kennedy. The Tennessee transfer passed for 982 yards and four touchdowns and added 144 yards and a score on the ground through UCLA’s first five contests.
With Iamaleava likely sidelined for the remainder of the season, the Bruins will turn to Ty Dieffenbach or Madden Iamaleava, Nico’s younger brother. Dieffenbach held the No. 2 role against the Ducks and saw his first action of the year, completing three of six passes for 43 yards and a score.
Of UCLA’s seven remaining contests, five of those games are at home, including Wisconsin, Illinois and crosstown rival No. 14 USC. Remaining road trips to Minnesota and Michigan won’t be easy.
Although Iamaleava wasn’t posting huge numbers, he was a key cog in UCLA’s 5-0 start and is a huge loss. Athlon Sports debates whether or not the Bruins can still make the College Football Playoff with Iamaleava sidelined for the year:
Can UCLA Make the College Football Playoff After Losing QB Nico Iamaleava to Injury?
Steven Lassan: Bob Chesney was one of the offseason’s top hires, and UCLA is clearly one of the Big Ten’s most-improved teams. However, without Iamaleava, I think it’s going to be tough for the Bruins to make the 12-team field.
The schedule certainly works in their favor, however. UCLA could be favored to win 10 games, with a road trip to Michigan and the finale against USC the two matchups where Chesney’s team is likely to be an underdog. Also, with a small margin for error on offense with a limited passing game, Saturday night’s contest against Wisconsin or the Nov. 7 road date at Minnesota will be challenging or in the toss-up category.
The formula for the Bruins the rest of the way will be to lean on its rushing attack that leads the Big Ten in production behind Wayne Knight (548 yards and 10 scores), along with a defense holding teams to just 18 points per game. Those two elements can carry this UCLA team into playoff contention, and although quarterback Ty Dieffenbach played well in limited snaps at Oregon, the Bruins will need more out of their passing game.
Chesney and this staff will get everything they can out of the roster and should find ways to keep the Bruins in the playoff mix. However, I think the limitations in the passing game will catch up at some point, and UCLA will finish outside of the 12-team field.
Kyle Wood: I’m not positive that UCLA will make the CFP without Iamaleava. But I do think the Bruins can, based on what they’ve shown. They have the third-worst passing offense in the Big Ten, which they make up for with the No. 1 rushing attack. Iamaleava was playing well — a good deal better than he did in 2025 — but he alone was not why UCLA was 4-0 heading into the Oregon game.
It’s irresponsible to make any grand declarations about Dieffenbach based on six pass attempts against the Ducks. Going from a five-star prospect with CFP experience to an FCS transfer is not ideal for coach Chesney and Co. However, if Dieffenbach can limit the turnovers and keep defenses honest by preventing them from stacking the box for fear of his passing threat, the Bruins might just be able to patch this thing together. Expect even heavier doses of Wayne Knight from here on out.
The ease of the remaining schedule also makes a playoff path possible for UCLA. The Bruins have earned some margin for error. They can afford a loss, maybe even two, the rest of the way. But UCLA better hope Oregon keeps winning to bolster its resume. If not, its case to the committee could come down to the regular-season finale against USC.
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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