NFL Draft Scout
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Name: Nico Iamaleava (Transfer from Tennessee)
College: UCLA
Number: 9
School Bio/Stats Link: HERE
Height: 6-5 Weight: 215
Position: Pos2:
Class/Draft Year: rSo/2028
40 Low: 4.45 40 Time: 4.54 40 High: 4.60
> Projected Round: Stock: 
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Data Scout Notes: X-HPFA/Has Regressed/Needs Bulk+++/5* Top 5 HS QB/FYS in 24 2025: 04-12-25 Transfer from Tennessee...2024: NAC...(+) Coming off 11-09-24 Concussion...2023: NAC
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Height: 6052
Weight: 215
Zybek PD3X AKA "Official"
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Height: 6052
Weight: 215
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Nico Iamaleava, UCLA, Player News
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Mateen Bhaghani kicked a 23-yard field goal with two seconds to play, and UCLA beat Maryland 20-17 Saturday night to extend its improbable season turnaround with a third consecutive victory. Nico Iamaleava passed for 221 yards and led three scoring drive s in the final six minutes despite going down with an apparent knee injury during that wild stretch for the Bruins (3-4, 3-1 Big Ten), who managed to stay on the upswing in their roller coaster of a season. "I think it's all about belief, (and) the guys believe," UCLA interim head coach Tim Skipper said. "There's nothing that happened throughout the game that's going to take our confidence away, and you don't really know that until you get in a tight game like that. I found out today that these guys bel ieve."Iamaleava threw a go-ahead, 14-yard touchdown pass to Mikey Matthews with 3:33 to play, and Bhaghani's first field goal put the Bruins up 17-10 with 2:09 to play shortly after Scooter Jackson intercepted Malik Washington's pass deep in Maryl and territory. But Washington, who passed for 210 yards, led the Terrapins (4-3, 1-3) on a dramatic drive, hitting Jalil Farooq for an 8-yard TD with 40 seconds left. Iamaleava, who appeared to have a serious injury only moments earlier, returned to the field and drove the Bruins 68 yards in 31 seconds. "I knew with Nico, when I saw him start to walk off and his face started to come back normal, I was like, "Hey, we have a shot here," Skipper said with a grin. Iamaleava completed two passes for 33 yards before Anthony Frias - who made an early 55-yard touchdown run for UCLA - made a 35-yard run to the Maryland 5 to set up Bhaghani's tiebreaking field goal. "It just shows how much of a leader (Iamaleava) is," Matthews said. "He came back and pushed thro ugh. He has that dog in him, no matter what." The Bruins rallied to win despite committing three turnovers in these schools' first meeting since 1955, including an interception returned 8 yards for a touchdown by Maryland's Jamare Glasker in the third qu arter. UCLA also went nine straight drives without scoring before Matthews' TD catch. - UCLA/AP College Football
(DS#18 QB) rSo/2028  QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: UCLA/AP College Football
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Jalen Berger scored three touchdowns and Nico Iamaleava threw for 180 yards and three touchdowns Saturday to lead UCLA to a 38-13 victory over Michigan State. Berger, who transferred to UCLA from Michigan State after the 2023 season, ran for 83 yards on 13 carries and also had three catches for 24 yards. It is the second straight win for the Bruins (2-4, 2-1 Big Ten) after dropping the first four games of the season. After the Spartans (3-3, 0-3 Big Ten) scored first on quarterback Aidan Chiles’ 2-yar d run, UCLA dominated the rest of the first half and ran off 38 straight points.Mateen Bhaghani nailed a 47-yard field goal, Iamaleava tossed touchdown passes to Berger and Titus Mokiao-Atimalala as UCLA jumped to a 24-7 halftime lead. In the thir d quarter, Jaivian Thomas added a 1-yard scoring run and Berger had his second touchdown catch. Chiles was forced from the game with 11:12 left in the third quarter when he was sacked by Keanu Williams. Chiles was evaluated in the medical tent and watche d the remainder of the game from the sideline. He was replaced by Alessio Milivojevic who threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Nick Marsh in the fourth quarter. - UCLA/AP College Football
(DS#18 QB) rSo/2028 QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: UCLA/AP College Football
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WEEK 6 BIG TEN OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Nico Iamaleava, UCLA, QB - So. - Long Beach, Calif. - Warren,...Accounted for five touchdowns and 294 yards of total offense to lead UCLA to a 42-37 upset against No. 7 Penn State...Set single-game career high s in rushing yards and touchdowns and tied a program record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback...Led UCLA to the program's first home win over a top 10 AP team since 2007, the most points allowed and rushing yards (269) by Penn State in a regular se ason game since 2022...Had a 52-yard scramble in the third quarter, a career-long rush and UCLA's longest play of the season...Last UCLA Offensive Player of the Week: Ethan Garbers (Oct. 21, 2024). - Big Ten Football
(DS#18 QB) rSo/2028 QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: Big Ten Football
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WEEK 6 WALTER CAMP NATIONAL FBS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: NICO IAMALEAVA, UCLA, RS Sophomore, Quarterback, Long Beach, CA,...Nico Iamaleava accounted for all five of UCLA's touchdowns (2 passing, 3 rushing) and 294 yards of total offense (166 passing , 128 rushing) to lead the Bruins to a 42-37 upset over No. 7 Penn State. It marked UCLA's first home win over a Top-10 team since 2007. In the victory, Iamaleava set single-game career highs in rushing (128 yards) and rushing touchdowns (three). Notes: It is the ninth time since 2004 that a UCLA player has earned Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week honors. Iamaleava is the first UCLA honoree since former quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (Sept. 22, 2019). - Walter Camp Football Foundation
(DS#18 QB) rSo/2028 QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: Walter Camp Football Foundation
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WEEK 6 ASSOCIATED PRESS NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Nico Iamaleava, UCLA, The transfer quarterback from Tennessee was responsible for all five UCLA touchdowns in the 42-37 upset of Penn State. With tight ends and wide receivers coach Jerry Neuheisel cal ling the plays for the first time, Iamaleava completed 17 of 24 passes for 166 yards and two TDs and ran for 128 yards and three scores on 16 carries.Iamaleava led the Volunteers to a 10-3 record and the College Football Playoff last season. He an nounced his transfer to UCLA in April and lost his first four games as the starter. His head coach, DeShaun Foster, was fired after the third game and offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri was let go after the fourth. Iamaleava is completing 66% of his pass es (98 of 148) for 191 yards per game and six TDs. He's thrown three interceptions and been sacked 12 times. He leads the Bruins in rushing with 66 yards per game and four TDs. - AP College Football
(DS#18 QB) rSo/2028 QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: AP College Football
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UCLA fired second-year football coach DeShaun Foster on Sunday after the school's first 0-3 start since 2019. Athletic director Martin Jarmond announced the move two days after the Bruins lost to New Mexico 35-10, their second straight loss to a Mountain West Conference opponent. "It's not a decision I made lightly, but it was important to take decisive action," Jarmond said on a Zoom call with media. "This serves as a message to our fans that the results we've seen so far are simply not acceptable." Ti m Skipper will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season, which includes games against three highly ranked Big Ten Conference opponents. Skipper had been special assistant to Foster, and he served as Fresno State's interim coach last year. Foster was 5-10 since taking over the program from Chip Kelly in February 2024, after national signing day and relatively late in the recruiting process. "I regret putting DeShaun in that position as we were going into the Big Ten," Jarmond said. "Getting a st art so late really disadvantaged the start of his coaching career."Last year, the Bruins finished 5-7 after a 1-5 start in the school's first season in the Big Ten. Foster had been the program's running backs coach from 2017-23 and added the title of associate head coach in 2023 before being promoted to the top job by Jarmond. Foster spent one season on the staff at Texas Tech. The Bruins were beaten by Utah in their opener and by UNLV a week ago. They trailed at halftime in all three losses, two of them coming at the Rose Bowl, where attendance was sparse and tarps are used to cover wide swaths of seating. Foster was asked Friday if he was still the person for the job, and he replied: "Most definitely. Because I can get these boys to play." How ever, even the arrival of highly touted quarterback Nico Iamaleava via the transfer portal couldn't save Foster. The sophomore left Tennessee after leading the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff last season and didn't participate in spring camp. - AP College Football
(DS#18 QB) rSo/2028 QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: AP College Football
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Nico Iamaleava made a bigger splash in the transfer portal than he did in his debut for UCLA. The highly touted quarterback who left Tennessee after taking the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff last season struggled in a 43-10 loss to Utah at th e Rose Bowl on Saturday night. Iamaleava was sacked four times for 28 yards lost. He was 11 of 22 for 136 yards passing with one touchdown and one interception. Iamaleava was the Bruins' leading rusher with 13 carries for 47 yards, the most by a UCLA qua rterback since Ethan Garbers had 56 at Nebraska last season. Iamaleava was outshone by Utah quarterback Devon Dampier, a New Mexico transfer who was 21 of 25 for 206 yards and two TDs. He also was the Utes' leading rusher with 16 carries for 87 yards. - AP College Football
(DS#18 QB) rSo/2028 QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: AP College Football
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WEEK 2 SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Nico Iamaleava, QB, Fr.,...Iamaleava, in his third career start, led Tennessee to a 51-10 win over No. 24 NC State by accounting for 276 total yards of offense and three touchdowns. He completed 16-of-23 passes for 211 ya rds with two touchdowns and two interceptions and added 65 rushing yards on eight carries, including a 31-yard touchdown run. This was Iamaleava's second win over a ranked opponent in three starts and the second time in his career that he both rushed for and passed for a touchdown in the same game. - SEC Football
(DS#18 QB) rSo/2028 QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: SEC Football
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WEEK 1 SEC CO-FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Nico Iamaleava, QB, RS-Fr.,...Iamaleava, making his second career start and first in Neyland Stadium, set a Tennessee school record for passing yards in a half (314) to lead the No. 15 Vols to a 69-3 season-opening vic tory over Chattanooga. He only played the first half and finished 22-of-28 for 314 yards with three touchdowns and no picks. The first-half passing yards broke the previous record of 313 set by Tyler Bray in the first half vs. Troy on Nov. 3, 2012. Nico' s performance was the fourth 300-yard passing total in a half in Tennessee history. Iamaleava opened the game 10-of-10 for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Iamaleava was the first UT freshman - redshirt or true - to start at quarterback in a season opener s ince true freshman Brent Schaeffer did vs. UNLV on Sept. 5, 2004. His 78.6 completion percentage was the sixth-best in the country for Week 1 and the best by any freshman in the nation. - SEC Football
(DS#18 QB) rSo/2028 QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: SEC Football
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Nico Iamaleava threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns - all in the first half - in his first regular-season start to lead the 15th-ranked Volunteers to a 69-3 victory over Chattanooga on Saturday. Dylan Sampson rushed for 124 yards and three scores in the first half as the Volunteers had an easy opener against an in-state FCS foe. Chattanooga, ranked eighth in the FCS preseason poll, didn't cross into Tennessee territory until its first drive of the second half. Tennessee dominated both sides of the b all in the first half and built a 45-0 lead. The Vols put up 490 yards of total offense and the Mocs didn't get past their own 47. - AP College Football
(DS#18 QB) rSo/2028 QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: AP College Football
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