Inside DeShaun Foster’s Bold Move with Nico Iamaleava After UCLA’s Spring Semester
So, Nico Iamaleava’s transfer saga—finally put to bed—has the UCLA faithful buzzing, and head coach DeShaun Foster isn’t just cautiously optimistic; he’s downright pumped. You have to wonder: can a kid juggling a high GPA and a playbook look-up list really master the Bruins’ offense before he even sets foot on campus? Foster doesn’t see it as a Herculean task, chalking it up mostly to “figuring out what we call things,” which feels like a neat euphemism for football decoder ring work. Meanwhile, the quarterback carousel just got a little more interesting with a near swap involving Joey Aguilar heading back to Tennessee, effectively handing Iamaleava the reins as the starting signal-caller for UCLA’s 2025 campaign. With the Bruins coming off a gritty 5-7 season and a nearly unrecognizable offense shaping up for next year, this kid’s arrival might be the spark that surprises everyone—after all, the last double-digit win frenzy was over a decade ago. Does this smart kid have what it takes to lead UCLA out of the doldrums and toward Big Ten glory? Time will tell, but the buzz is already palpable.
With Nico Iamaleava’s college football transfer portal drama finally over, DeShaun Foster is excited to welcome him to UCLA. The Bruins head coach does not think his new star quarterback will take much time to adjust once he finishes his final semester at Tennessee.
Foster said Iamaleava is not yet with the team, but he plans to send him the playbook virtually as soon as the spring semester ends. The 45-year-old coach does not believe a “smart” player like Iamaleava will struggle too much adjusting to his playbook, he told the media after UCLA’s spring showcase on Saturday.
“As soon as he’s done with school, he’ll be able to start learning online with our coaches and everything,” Foster said. “When you’re switching teams, it’s not the hardest thing to do. It’s mostly just figuring out what we called something that they [had a different name for]. It’s not like we have to teach him a whole new playbook. It’s more about him figuring out the calls. Him being a smart kid — he has a high GPA, smart on and off the field — we’re just looking forward to just getting the opportunity to teach him.”
Shortly after Iamaleava committed to UCLA from the spring college football transfer portal, Joey Aguilar promptly left for Tennessee, effectively completing a trade. The move all but guarantees Iamalaeava will begin the year as the Bruins’ starting quarterback.
UCLA football seeks first Big 10 title with Nico Iamaleava
Coming off a 5-7 season, UCLA is far from Big 10 title conversations, but inched slightly closer with Iamaleava on the roster. Ahead of Foster’s second season with the team, the Bruins have not had a double-digit win season since Jim Mora led them to a 10-3 finish in 2014.
The new-look Bruins will feature more debuts in August than just Iamaleava. Following the losses of Ethan Garbers, T.J. Harden, Moliki Matavao, Logan Loya and J. Michael Sturdivant, nearly UCLA’s entire offense will be different in 2025. Senior wideout Titus Mokiao-Atimalala will be the only returning offensive skill player.
The changes give UCLA its best preseason outlook in well over a decade. Before even returning to Los Angeles, Iamaleava is already expected to match the production of the best quarterbacks in school history.
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