Draft Scout Warning: Undefined variable $TeamName in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\notesteam.php on line 20 Player News, College Football: Warning: Undefined variable $TeamName in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\notesteam.php on line 20

Wayne Knight rushed for career-high 212 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown, and No. 19 James Madison made its case for a College Football Playoff berth, beating Troy 31-14 in the Sun Belt Conference title game on Friday night. The Dukes (12-1) will now root for Duke to beat Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game on Saturday night, a result that could make JMU one of two Group of Five schools in the 12-team playoff. On a chilly night when fans were repeatedly chided for throwing snowballs onto the field, JMU's defense recorded eight sacks, a scoop-and-score touchdown and, for the sixth time this season, shut out an opponent in the second half. Defensive end Sahir West had three sacks and was in on 10 tackles. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III's 26-yard touchdown run with 4:11 to play sealed the win as coach Bob Chesney, reportedly bound for UCLA, won his final home game with the Dukes. Barnett rushed for 85 yards and threw for 93 yards and a TD with an interception. A coaching gamble helped keep the game tight in the first half.

With Troy trailing 17-7 and facing a fourth-and-1 at its own 34-yard line, coach Gerad Parker opted to go for it. Lining up in a tight formation, the Trojans used play-action and tried to catch JMU's defense unprepared for a pass downfield. The play didn't seem to surprise the Dukes' defense, but defensive back Elijah Culp grabbed Troy receiver RaRa Thomas, getting flagged for pass interference and giving the Trojans a first down. Troy went on to score seven plays later, with Tae Meadows' 2-yard touchdown run trimming the JMU lead to 17-14 with 2:14 left. Troy (8-5) had a chance to tie it, but Scott Taylor Renfroe missed a 46-yard field-goal try with 4:24 left in the third quarter. The Trojans led 7-3 early in the second quarter when Knight busted loose for his 73-yard TD, the longest in Sun Belt title game history. - James Madison/AP College Football

(DS#27 RB) rJr/2027

RB Wayne Knight, UCLA
News Source: James Madison/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

12/04/25 - Sahir West, rFr/2029, UCLA, 6-3, 270 (DS#19 DE) + More +

2025 SUN BELT FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR (COACHES): Sahir West, James Madison (RS Fr., DL - Baltimore, Md.),...As a redshirt freshman, West started all 12 games at defensive end for a James Madison defense that ranks fifth in the nation in total defense at 253.5 yards per game, fifth in rushing defense at 84.7 yards per game, 10th in scoring defense at 16.0 points per game and 12th in passing defense at 167.8 yards per game. The Baltimore, Md., product tallied 33 tackles, a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, seven quarterback hurries and four pass breakups. - Sun Belt Football

(DS#19 DE) rFr/2029

DE Sahir West, UCLA
News Source: Sun Belt Football
Share/Comment: Here

11/24/25 - Drew Spinogatti, Jr/2027, UCLA, 6-1, 229 (DS#999 OLB) + More +

WEEK 13 SUN BELT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Drew Spinogatti, James Madison, (Jr., LB - Winter Garden, Fla.),...Dukes junior linebacker Drew Spinogatti tallied a career-best 16 tackles in James Madison's 24-20 non-conference win over Washington State. The Winter Garden, Fla., product also added two pass breakups in his first start of the season. Spinogatti's tackle total was the season-high for any Duke and the most since Jacob Dobbs' 17 against Georgia Southern on Oct. 19, 2024. The win was the ninth-straight for James Madison and the 30th-consecutive against non-conference opposition at home, dating back to the start of the 2016 season. - Sun Belt Football

(DS#999 OLB) Jr/2027

OLB Drew Spinogatti, UCLA
News Source: Sun Belt Football
Share/Comment: Here

11/23/25 - Nico Iamaleava, rSo/2028, UCLA, 6-5, 215 (DS#10 QB) + More +

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava left Saturday night's 48-14 loss to Washington after being sacked and hurt in the third quarter. The Tennessee transfer was sacked for a 15-yard loss at the UCLA 25-yard line by Bryce Butler at 8:44, with the Bruins trailing 27-0. After lying on his back, Iamaleava got up and walked off the Rose Bowl field under his own power and entered a blue tent behind the Bruins' bench. Last week, Iamaleava missed UCLA's 48-10 loss at No. 1 Ohio State while he was in concussion protocol. He initially got hurt in a loss to Nebraska on Nov. 8. "Not completely sure," interim coach Tim Skipper said when asked if Iamaleava had suffered a concussion. "He was talking when we went out there, but when he came out, he went into the tent, then came into the locker room. We'll get an update as we go, but that's all I really know." Iamaleava was 16-of-26 for 69 yards and no touchdowns before getting hurt and also ran for 16 yards on five carries. He was replaced by sophomore Luke Duncan, who started in Iamaleava's place at Ohio State, Duncan was 5-of-11 for 81 yards and a touchdown on Saturday. ESPN College Football

(DS#10 QB) rSo/2028

QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: ESPN College Football
Share/Comment: Here

11/22/25 - Wayne Knight, rJr/2027, UCLA, 5-07, 190 (DS#27 RB) + More +

Wayne Knight's 58-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter put No. 21 James Madison ahead to stay and the Dukes beat Washington State 24-20 on Saturday. Knight carried 15 times for 126 yards and Alonza Barnett was 9 for 18 passing for 144 yards and a touchdown for James Madison (10-1). Zevi Eckhaus completed 19 of 31 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score to lead Washington State (5-6). Kirby Vorhees rushed for 61 yards on 19 carries. After the teams traded field goals in the first quarter, JMU cornerback Justin Eaglin picked off a pass from Eckhaus and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown to give the Dukes a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter.

Midway through the period, Eckhaus got it back by hitting Tony Freeman over the middle for a 48-yard TD, forging a 10-all tie. Eckhaus scored on a 4-yard run with 48 seconds left in the first half to give the Cougars a 17-10 lead at the break. James Madison tied it up late in the third when Barnett found Braeden Wisloski for a 68-yard TD strike. Washington State regained the lead with 9:24 remaining when Jack Stevens' 35-yard field goal bounced off the left upright and in. On the ensuing possession, Knight broke loose for his longest run of the day, racing 58 yards for a score to make it 24-20 James Madison. - James Madison/AP College Football

(DS#27 RB) rJr/2027

RB Wayne Knight, UCLA
News Source: James Madison/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

11/17/25 - Nico Iamaleava, rSo/2028, UCLA, 6-5, 215 (DS#10 QB) + More +

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava is day to day while dealing with a concussion that kept him out of the Bruins' blowout loss at No. 1 Ohio State. There's a chance Iamaleava could practice Tuesday, but his status depends on how his treatment and testing goes, interim coach Tim Skipper said Monday. Outside linebackers Reuben Unije and Garrett DiGiorgio also are day to day. Iamaleava was injured in a loss to Nebraska on Nov. 8 and concussion symptoms later appeared, which ruled him out of playing in the 48-10 loss to the Buckeyes last Saturday.

The highly touted Tennessee transfer was replaced by redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan, who was 16 of 23 for 154 yards and a touchdown. Duncan found out the night before that he would be starting and he received support from Iamaleava. "We have a good relationship," Duncan said after the loss, "so we were looking at the iPad together, going over it together. He did a good job helping me out." The Bruins (3-7, 3-4 Big Ten) host Washington on Saturday in what could be their final regular-season football game at the Rose Bowl. The school has played its home games at the historic stadium in Pasadena since 1982, but the school and City of Pasadena are embroiled in a legal fight over whether UCLA honors its lease agreement that runs until after the 2043 season. UCLA officials have said no official decision has been made to leave the stadium for potentially a new home at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The Bruins won't have enough wins to be bowl eligible, so their season will conclude against rival USC on Nov. 29 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. - AP College Football

(DS#10 QB) rSo/2028

QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/19/25 - Nico Iamaleava, rSo/2028, UCLA, 6-5, 215 (DS#10 QB) + More +

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 drives 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 believe."

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 Maryland 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 through. 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 quarter. UCLA also went nine straight drives without scoring before Matthews' TD catch. - UCLA/AP College Football

(DS#10 QB) rSo/2028

QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: UCLA/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/11/25 - Nico Iamaleava, rSo/2028, UCLA, 6-5, 215 (DS#10 QB) + More +

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-yard 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 third 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 watched 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#10 QB) rSo/2028

QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: UCLA/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/08/25 - Nico Iamaleava, rSo/2028, UCLA, 6-5, 215 (DS#10 QB) + More +

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 highs 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 season 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#10 QB) rSo/2028

QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: Big Ten Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/06/25 - Nico Iamaleava, rSo/2028, UCLA, 6-5, 215 (DS#10 QB) + More +

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#10 QB) rSo/2028

QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: Walter Camp Football Foundation
Share/Comment: Here

10/06/25 - Nico Iamaleava, rSo/2028, UCLA, 6-5, 215 (DS#10 QB) + More +

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 calling 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 announced 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 passes (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#10 QB) rSo/2028

QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/15/25 - Nico Iamaleava, rSo/2028, UCLA, 6-5, 215 (DS#10 QB) + More +

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." Tim 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 start 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." However, 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#10 QB) rSo/2028

QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/14/25 - Ty Dieffenbach, rSo/2028, UCLA, 6-5, 220 (DS#999 QB) + More +

Ty Dieffenbach threw for three touchdowns, Michael Briscoe had four first-half touchdown grabs, and Cal Poly beat Division II-member Western Oregon 56-7 on Saturday night. Dieffenbach completed 8-of-11 passes for 192 yards before Anthony Grigsby took over. Grigsby went 7 for 11 for 138 yards and a touchdown and Jason Akins added 46 yards passing. Briscoe caught six passes for 148 yards with scoring plays of 70, 25, 2 and 5 yards. Cal Poly (2-1) led 35-0 at halftime after gaining 353 total yards. Western Oregon (1-1) got its lone score when Jordan McCarty threw a 29-yard touchdown to Cody Hall to make it 42-7. The scoring ended when Kresean Kizzy picked off a McCarty pass and returned it 74 yards with 2:43 left. - AP College Football

(DS#999 QB) rSo/2028

QB Ty Dieffenbach, UCLA
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/01/25 - Ty Dieffenbach, rSo/2028, UCLA, 6-5, 220 (DS#999 QB) + More +

WEEK 1 BIG SKY OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ty Dieffenback, Cal Poly (QB, R-So., Calabassas, Calif.),...In his Mustang debut, Ty Dieffenbach led Cal Poly to a 41-17 win over San Diego to open the 2025 season. The redshirt sophomore transfer quarterback was 18-27 for 263 yards and two passing touchdowns, while adding 69 yards on the ground and another score to finish his day with 300-plus yards of offense. The weekly honor for Dieffenbach is the first of his career. Others Nominated, Offense: Marceese Yetts (EWU), Jordan Cooke (ISU), Kolbe Katsis (NAU), Peter Costelli (UNC). - Big Sky Football

(DS#999 QB) rSo/2028

QB Ty Dieffenbach, UCLA
News Source: Big Sky Football
Share/Comment: Here

08/31/25 - Nico Iamaleava, rSo/2028, UCLA, 6-5, 215 (DS#10 QB) + More +

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 the 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 quarterback 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#10 QB) rSo/2028

QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

Previous 15 Notes

|Back to Page One|

Next 15 Notes

Warning: Undefined array key "TeamID" in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\2020rightcolteam.php on line 56

Warning: Undefined array key "DSTeamID" in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\2020rightcolteam.php on line 57

UCLA Football Videos

Buy Draft Scout Weekly

** Draft Scout Data **
(Everything Online PLUS)

Support Draft Scout

The Database Engine for NFLDraftScout.com, Draft Scout is being repurposed...Support the Future Development of ScoutNation.com...

Draft Scout Archives

** 2010-2022 Draft Scout Archives **
(Yearly Player Data Exports, Prospect Lists & More)

Draft Scout Future

100% Dedicated and Never Done

80% Innovated

45% Hidden

35% Built

2025 CFB/2025-2029 NFL Draft Scout

2024 CFB/2024-2028 NFL Draft Scout

2023 CFB/2024-2027 NFL Draft Scout

NFL Draft Scout History

2022 Draft Scout

Draft Scout by Conference

2023 Draft Scout Offense

2023 Draft Scout Defense

2022 Draft Scout Offense

2022 Draft Scout Defense

UCLA Football Videos

Buy Draft Scout Weekly

Support Draft Scout

Draft Scout Archives

Draft Scout Future

Synergization

Did You Know?

Hidden Designs

Future Development