UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava announced that he will return to the Bruins in 2026, choosing continuity after a turbulent first season in Westwood and giving the program a cornerstone piece as it enters a new era under head coach Bob Chesney.
Iamaleava indicated during Big Ten media days in the summer that he hoped his stay at UCLA would be brief, saying, “If I have the year I want, I want to get out” and declare for the NFL Draft. After finishing the 2025 season with 1,928 passing yards and 13 touchdowns as UCLA went 3-9 through a year marked by upheaval — including the firing of head coach DeShaun Foster following a 0-4 start and a midseason shift to interim coach Tim Skipper — the redshirt sophomore elected for another go around with the Bruins.
Through his lone season as the Bruins’ starter, Iamaleava showed flashes of the physical toolkit that made him one of the most scrutinized young quarterbacks in the country — and one of the most coveted prospects in the portal — with his size, arm strength and ability to extend plays. Those traits surfaced despite an offense and program that never fully stabilized.
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Iamaleava’s passing numbers were pedestrian, but he was critical to UCLA’s ground game. The 6-foot-6 quarterback rushed for 505 yards, averaging 4.5 yards per carry and scoring a team-high four rushing touchdowns. His mobility proved pivotal in UCLA’s upset of then-No. 7 Penn State, when Iamaleava ran for a season-high 128 yards and accounted for three of his four rushing scores.
Iamaleava also earned a reputation for toughness throughout the season. He was helped off the field late against Maryland at the Rose Bowl after appearing to suffer a lower-body injury, but still guided UCLA through the closing drives that set up the Bruins’ winning field goal. Later in the year, he absorbed a series of heavy hits against Nebraska before concussion symptoms surfaced, forcing him to miss the Ohio State game.
Iamaleava transferred to UCLA from Tennessee ahead of the 2025 season in a move that stole the offseason news cycle. Before arriving in Knoxville, he had already become a landmark figure of the NIL era, signing a historic $8 million deal, as The Athletic previously reported. Had he remained as Tennessee through 2025, Iamaleava was set to earn north of $2 million through the program’s NIL collective, though reports surfaced that his family sought a raise and additional offensive line support.
After Iamaleava skipped practice ahead of the Volunteers’ spring game, coach Josh Heupel announced the program was parting ways with the quarterback, which led to him entering the portal on April 16 with a do-not-contact tag.
For UCLA, Iamaleava’s decision to return provides clarity at the most important position on the roster at a moment of transition. The school announced Chesney as its next head coach on Dec. 6, and keeping an experienced starter in place offers a foundation as Chesney assembles his staff and installs his system.
The timing is also significant. The NCAA’s transfer portal window runs for two weeks starting Jan. 2, compressing offseason roster decisions across the sport. By keeping Iamaleava in the fold, UCLA avoids the urgency of finding a signal-caller replacement on the market and can instead focus on building around the former five-star recruit.
This news was originally published on this post .
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