Nico Iamaleava injury update confirms worst fear for UCLA football

Nico Iamaleava injury update confirms worst fear for UCLA football

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Nico Iamaleava injury update confirms worst fear for UCLA football

It’s been a season to remember for UCLA and first-year head coach Bob Chesney. The Bruins just went into Eugene and took down Oregon, 17-15. UCLA’s defense forced seven turnovers, and the sky appears to be the limit for the Bruins.

But Monday confirmed UCLA’s worst fear. After exiting the game on Saturday, starting quarterback Nico Imaleava is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season with a knee injury, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.

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Imaleava is in his second season with the Bruins. He will finish the 2026 season with 982 passing yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions.

Chesney didn’t seem overly concerned regarding Iamaleava’s injury following the game, but admitted there could be more to it. He noted that Iamaleava was hit in the thigh but “there might be a little bit more to it.”

“We got to just figure out as we go through the process tonight, tomorrow, the rest of the way,” Chesney said.

The former five-star, who began his college career at Tennessee, will now be sidelined for the remainder of the season, but with the new five-for-five rule, Iamaleava could be back with the Bruins next season if he wanted to return.

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What’s next for UCLA?

UCLA running back Wayne Knight, left, and wide receiver Landon Ellis celebrate a touchdown by Knight as the Oregon Ducks host

UCLA running back Wayne Knight, left, and wide receiver Landon Ellis celebrate a touchdown by Knight as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

The Bruins’ backup quarterback is Cal Poly transfer Ty Dieffenbach, who came in and finished the game against Oregon.

Last season, Dieffenbach threw for1,305 yards, nine touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also ran for 321 yards and four touchdowns, which would give the Bruins a dual-threat ability behind center. We would assume that Dieffenbach will get the start, at least for now.

UCLA’s schedule is quite manageable from here on out. The Bruins have just one ranked team on their schedule to finish the season, and that’s the final game of the season against rival USC. But UCLA will go to Minnesota and Michigan as well. Neither of those games is going to be easy without Iamaleava behind center.

Luckily, running back Wayne Knight has been great. The James Madison transfer has 548 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Until UCLA finds out more about what Dieffenbach can or can’t do, it’s going to be the Knight show, along with the Bruins’ defense leading the way.

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