Bruins' Iamaleava Mentioned as Top QB Prospect for 2026 NFL Draft

On the heels of an eventful offseason, UCLA Bruins transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava is poised to make an instant tangible impact to the program and is already turning heads as a prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.

ESPN released a list of the top quarterback prospects to know for the 2026 NFL Draft, highlighted by the likes of Penn State's Drew Allar, Miami's Carson Beck and Clemsons' Cade Klubnik, just to name a few.

Iamaleava didn't make the cut in the "Top names to know" section that include the above quarterbacks and a few other names that are prime candidates to be impactful prospects in the pros, but he was listed in the "best of the rest" section by ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Jordan Reid.

Reid wrote about the redshirt sophomore quarterback:

"Iamaleava's offseason was eventful and ended up with him leaving Tennessee to play for the Bruins. He finished his first season as a starter with 2,616 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. The 6-6, 215-pound Iamaleava is a slender, fluid passer with the arm talent to get the ball to his desired spots, but he struggled with his touch and accuracy on deeper passes. That will be worth watching this fall, as will his adjustment from the Vols' unconventional passing offense to a more pro-style UCLA scheme."

Iamaleava transferred to Westwood after a fallout with Tennessee as a result of a NIL dispute. The Vols arguably weren't left empty-handed, though, as former App State quarterback an UCLA commit Joey Aguilar re-entered the portal once Iamaleava committed to the Bruins and went to Tennessee.

Aguilar surely isn't of the same talent as Iamaleava, but he still is a formidable replacement.

Iamaleava led the Volunteers to a 10-3 record last season, throwing 19 touchdowns and five interceptions for 2,616 total yards. Many have questioned his ability to adapt to a brand new Bruins offense in time to truly make a difference, but who's to say he's not dynamic enough to just be the Big Ten's best player under center.

UCLA finished it's first season in the conference with a 5-7 record, but finished the season stronger than it started. With a full offseason of consistency with head coach DeShaun Foster and Iamaleava, their second season is much anticipated around the college football world.