This post was updated April 24 at 10:49 p.m. Nico Iamaleava had his worst performance on the biggest stage last season. In his first College Football Playoff appearance, Iamaleava completed just 14-of-31 passes for 104 yards, costing his team a trip to the Rose Bowl as eventual national champion Ohio State trampled Iamaleava and Tennessee 42-17. Read more...
Photo: Redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava prepares to hurl a ball down the field. (Courtesy of Tennessee Athletics)
While spring practice is in full swing and UCLA football’s future seems to be taking center stage on social media, a group of former Bruins are preparing to begin their journeys at the next level. Read more...
Photo: UCLA football linebacker Carson Schwesinger gears up for a play. Once a walk-on, Schwesinger is projected to be the first former Bruin to hear his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft. (Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor. Photo illustration by Shrey Chaganlal/Assistant Design director)
This post was updated April 22 at 11:11 p.m. Joey Aguilar is headed to Tennessee. Madden Iamaleava is circling back to Westwood. And in the span of a day, the trajectory of UCLA football’s quarterback room has been completely rewritten. ESPN’s Chris Low announced Monday afternoon that Aguilar, the redshirt senior who transferred to UCLA from Appalachian State in late December, plans to transfer to Tennessee – less than four months after taking first-team reps as the Bruins’ starting quarterback. Just about an hour later, Low reported that Madden Iamaleava – newly-arrived five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s younger brother – informed his now-former Arkansas coaches that he was headed to UCLA to reunite with his brother in Westwood. The back-to-back moves cap a 26-hour sequence for UCLA and Tennessee, which have effectively swapped quarterbacks. Read more...
Photo: Redshirt senior quarterback Joey Aguilar looks downfield to throw the ball. After just under four months at UCLA, Aguilar entered the portal Monday and is expected to commit to Tennessee – swapping places with Nico Iamaleava, who transferred to the Bruins from the Volunteers on Sunday. (Jeannie Kim/Daily Bruin senior staff)
It was one of those weeks where headlines could have hijacked the narrative. The online rumor mill didn’t sleep for three days – whispers that former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava was en route to Westwood from Tennessee reverberated across social media. Read more...
Photo: Redshirt senior quarterback Joey Aguilar prepares to throw the ball at Drake Stadium during UCLA football’s annual Friday Night Lights and ninth practice of the spring. (Jeannie Kim/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Former Tennessee starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava has committed to UCLA football, he announced Sunday afternoon via Instagram. The former five-star quarterback officially entered the transfer portal Wednesday morning – the first day of the spring transfer window – with a “do not contact” tag, signaling he either had a destination in mind or was letting his agent handle the process. For the past four days, rumors swirled about Iamaleava potentially transferring to UCLA, but it wasn’t until Sunday afternoon that the quarterback took to Instagram to officially reveal his decision. Iamaleava’s entry into the portal came as little surprise after his split from Tennessee last week, due to a deteriorating relationship with the program. Name, image and likeness played a major factor in his departure – per On3’s Pete Nakos. Read more...
Photo: UCLA football coach DeShaun Foster claps while watching his team warm up before a game. In the midst of Foster’s second spring practice, former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferred to UCLA. (Zimo Li/Photo editor)
This post was updated April 17 at 10:59 p.m. There’s no debate that recent name, image and likeness changes have transformed the current landscape of collegiate football. Read more...
Photo: UCLA football passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin guides his position group through drills Tuesday morning at Spaulding Field during the Bruins’ eighth spring practice. (Libby Li/Daily Bruin)
This spring may seem all too reminiscent of the last. A new offensive coordinator is trying to install his system. The starting quarterback is wearing No. Read more...
Photo: Redshirt sophomore tight end Jack Pedersen runs with the ball at Spaulding Field. (Brianna Carlson/Daily Bruin staff)
