Does Sports Illustrated view Nico Iamaleava as a Top-30 quarterback?
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There’s no one player that can change the fortunes of the UCLA Bruins quite like quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Iamaleava was a very highly-regarded recruit, playing two seasons with Tennessee before transferring over to Los Angeles ahead of last season.
Iamaleava was one of the very few bright spots for the 2025 UCLA team, showing off how dynamic he can be with his legs to help the Bruins upset Penn State, in what was one of the most shocking upsets of the entire college football season.
With new head coach Bob Chesney entering the picture in 2026, can Iamaleava continue to improve under center for the Bruins? Zach Koons of Sports Illustrated showed some belief in Iamaleava, ranking him as the No. 26 Power Four starting quarterback in the country.
“It’s not surprising that Iamaleava’s counting stats dipped significantly at UCLA given the talent around him and general turmoil within the program. And for the third straight season, the former five-star recruit will be working with a new head coach and play-caller,” Koons wrote. “Bob Chesney would be wise to lean into Iamaleava’s rushing ability, seeing as he ran for 505 yards on 4.5 yards per carry in 2025, and Chesney is fresh off of maximizing a mobile quarterback in Barnett. The sort of performance that Iamaleava had in the Penn State upset last season (70.8% completions on 24 attempts for 166 yards and two touchdowns; 16 carries for 128 yards) is the goal to replicate.”
If UCLA is going to take a significant stride in the Big Ten standings this season then Iamaleava will be a big reason why. The 6’6” quarterback possesses the natural talents that made him a five-star recruit, now Iamaleava must harness his abilities on a down-to-down basis.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Does Sports Illustrated view Nico Iamaleava as a Top-30 quarterback?
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