Nico Iamaleava vs. Dylan Raiola: How each former 5-star fared in high school
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
On Saturday afternoon, Bob Chesney's UCLA Bruins travel to Eugene, Oregon, for a highly anticipated top 25 showdown with the Oregon Ducks.
UCLA has been one of bigger surprises of the 2026 season so far, starting off the season unbeaten while Oregon entered the year as a national championship favorite but suffered an upset against Oklahoma State three weeks ago.
The winner in this game will keep a prime position in a loaded Big Ten race and thankfully, both programs have a former five-star quarterback they can lean on to lead their offenses.
Here's how Oregon’s Dylan Raiola and UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava fared as five-star talents in high school.
Nico Iamaleava
Iamaleava's high school career saw him rotate between two schools.
He began his playing career at Long Beach Poly (CA) before moving to Warren (CA) for his sophomore and junior seasons and then transferring back to Long Beach Poly (CA) ahead of his senior year. That move would not last as Iamaleava finished his high school career playing for Warren.
As a sophomore, Iamaleava started four games for Warren, completing 60% of his passes for 1,004 yards and 17 touchdowns to just one interception. The next season he upped his game, completing nearly the same amount of passes but for 2,244 yards and 33 touchdowns with only one interception.
In his final season at Warren, Iamaleava led the Bears to a 9-2 record, throwing for 1,986 yards and 25 touchdowns while also rushing for 399 yards and six more touchdowns. He announced his commitment to Tennessee ahead of his senior season.
Iamaleava's time in Knoxville lasted two seasons before he transferred to UCLA ahead of the 2025 season. This year he's played a pivotal role in the Bruins’ unbeaten start, throwing for 820 yards and four touchdowns.
Coming out of high school, he was ranked as the No. 2 overall player and No. 2 quarterback in the 2023 recruiting cycle.
Dylan Raiola
Raiola began his high school career in Texas and finished it playing in Georgia.
His first year as a starter came at Burleson (TX), where he played for former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna. He led the Elks to an 8-4 record, completing 64% of his passes for 3,341 yards and 32 touchdowns to only five interceptions. Raiola also added nine touchdowns on the ground.
As a junior, Raiola transferred from Burleson to Arizona where he played at Chandler High School (AZ). That season, he led the Wolves to a 9-3 record and the semifinals of Arizona’s Open Division Championship. On the year, he completed 64% of his passes for 2,435 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Raiola committed to Georgia during his junior season and then moved closer to Athens for his senior year as he enrolled at Buford (GA). In his final season of high school football, Raiola threw for 2,819 yards with 34 touchdowns to just one interception.
He would go on to flip his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska after his senior year. Raiola played two seasons at Nebraska before transferring to Oregon in January. He came in for Oregon when starting quarterback Dante Moore was knocked out in the USC game and led the Ducks to a 41-27 win.
Coming out of high school, 247Sports ranked Raiola as the No. 7 overall player in the 2024 cycle and the No. 2 quarterback prospect in the class.
Follow Sports Reporter Joe Spears on X at @joe_spears7 or via email: JSpears@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow USA TODAY High School Sports on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nico Iamaleava vs. Dylan Raiola: How each former 5-star fared in high school
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos