LOS ANGELES — An unknown offseason awaits Nico Iamaleava.
The UCLA quarterback finished his first season as a Bruin with a tough season as they lost to rival USC in the regular season finale on Saturday, Nov. 29 to finish 3-9 on the campaign.
Now with the season done, attention will be on whether Iamaleava will decide to stay in Westwood or look for a new team in 2026. After the loss to the Trojans, Iamaleava was noncommittal on what his future holds.
“No I haven’t,” Iamaleava said when asked by USA TODAY Sports if he’s thought about his future. “I was focused on this game and practice.”
A redshirt sophomore, Iamaleava has two years of eligibility left in his college career. After this season, he is eligible to make the jump to professional football.
Iamaleava was one of the most polarizing transfers in the country after his awkward departure from Tennessee in April following a reported NIL dispute. After he led the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff in his first season as the starting quarterback, Iamaleava left Knoxville and joined UCLA, returning home to Southern California to join the Bruins.
His arrival brought palpable hype to a UCLA team in desperate need of a jolt following a 5-7 record in Deshaun Foster’s first season. Instead, it turned into a dud after the Bruins were routed by Utah in the season opener and started the campaign 0-4. Foster was fired after UCLA lost by 25 points to New Mexico in Week 3.
Despite the rough start, Iamaleava’s best performance came in Week 6, when the winless Bruins stunned then-No. 6 Penn State at the Rose Bowl. He threw for 166 yards and had a game-high 130 rushing yards with five total touchdowns in the upset.
It was the start of a three-game win streak that changed the feelings in Westwood as there was belief the Bruins could possibly make a bowl game. However, Indiana beat UCLA by 50 points to end the streak and the Bruins lost five straight games to end the 2025 season.
The second losing streak came as Iamaleava dealt with injuries. He missed the game against Ohio State with a concussion and suffered another injury in the second half of the loss to Washington, which forced him out of the remainder of the game.
While Iamaleava didn’t have the season he and UCLA envisioned, he had good moments on what was a struggling team. He played in 11 games and finished with 1,928 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also was the team’s leading rusher with 674 yards and four touchdown runs.
“It was a great learning year for me,” he said. “I think it just showed that I’m willing to go out there and put my life on the line for my teammates whenever it’s needed.”
If Iamaleava were to leave UCLA, he would likely be a highly sought transfer portal addition for Power Four teams in need of an experienced quarterback. Iamaleava’s uncertain future also comes as UCLA still tries to hire its next coach. He said he hasn’t “really thought” on if UCLA’s next coach would factor in his decision.
