"He's an elite quarterback": Nico Iamaleava wins huge vote of approval from UCLA HC DeShaun Foster at 2025 Media Days

Quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferred to UCLA following Tennessee's spring practices in April. He reportedly skipped practice ahead of the spring game due to disagreements surrounding his NIL contracts.

While it was considered a loss for Tennessee, second-year UCLA coach DeShaun Foster is happy about his gain.

“Our sophomore quarterback is from Cali,” Foster said at the Big Ten Media Days, as reported by On3 insider Brett McMurphy on Thursday. “He's an elite quarterback. He chose to come back & build something special.”

At Tennessee, Nico Iamaleava played in 18 games between 2023 and 2024. He threw for 2,930 yards, 21 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also ran for 435 yards and scored six rushing touchdowns.

DeShaun Foster on Nico Iamaleava’s potential

DeShaun Foster is extremely excited about what Nico Iamaleava can bring to the team. At the Big Ten Media Days, the coach couldn’t stop raving about the playmaker.

"The arm strength is just something you see, off just from watching him play at all,” Foster said (via Yahoo Sports). “He’s just a talent, and it’s not anything I saw him do last season, it’s more of what I had seen him do all the way up."

He added:

"Him being a local quarterback, I had seen him play a few times, and he’s played with a lot of players that are on our team, so there is a lot familiarly there and we’re just excited to have a playoff quarterback. Just being able to come back home and be comfortable and being in a familiar environment, I think sky's the limit. So we're excited about this.”

Nico Iamaleava was a five-star recruit coming out of high school (Warren High School in Downey, California). He was ranked as the No. 2 player in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports. He was also the top-rated player in the transfer portal this year. His experience in the Southeastern Conference, a place full of powerhouse teams, has made him an excellent addition to the Bruins' roster.

UCLA will open its 2025 season at home against Utah on Aug. 30. The rest of the Bruins’ schedule isn’t too bad. They’ll face strong teams like Penn State and Ohio State, but avoid others like Michigan, Oregon, and Illinois.

About the author

Garima's inclination for sports began with Pitthu/Seven Stones, then cricket, when she was named the team captain in high school, and slowly built up to badminton, tennis, swimming, baseball, and, most recently, F1. There is no end to her love for Serena Williams, who she admires for her incredible impact not only on the game but on women around the world.

Apart from sports, she loves good storytelling in any form, be it a good fiction book, film, or even a vlog. Photography, going on drives, eating good food, and exercising are the things that keep her sound.

Currently studying the Japanese language, she aims to become fluent by the end of 2026.

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Edited by Parag Jain