Iamaleava Named in New Top-25 CFB QB Rankings

The Sporting News released an early Top-25 quarterbacks ranking list, headlined by Texas back Arch Manning, and UCLA's new star arm Nico Iamaleava is placed at a promising spot on the list for Bruins fans.

The sports site place Iamaleava 15th on its rankings, right behind TCU's Josh Hoover at 14 and right ahead of Iowa State's Rocco Becht.

In the 2024 season with Tennessee, Iamaleava finished with 2,616 passing yards, completing 63.8% of his passes for 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

"Is this the right spot for Iamaleava – a five-star recruit from the 2023 class who led Tennessee to a 10-3 record and a CFP berth in his first year as a starter?" the site write. "Of course, Iamaleava became the centerpiece of the spring season because of a NIL dispute with Tennessee that led to a transfer to UCLA. Iamaleava was 2-2 as a starter against ranked teams last season, and he will have to make a quick adjustment to playing in the Big Ten. Iamaleava will arguably be the most-scrutinized QB on this list in 2025."

Iamaleava is UCLA's main attraction ahead of DeShaun Foster's second season as the Bruins' head coach. Finishing its first season in the Big Ten Conference with a 5-7 record -- the program's worst record in the last decade -- UCLA is looking for instant improvement.

Iamaleava, a redshirt sophomore, made his way to the Bruins after a public dispute with the Volunteers over his name, image and likeness resulted in his departure. Iamaleava was at the wrong end of negative public discourse and is now one of the most polarizing college football talents ahead of the next season.

To amplify things, Iamaleava joins a revamped UCLA culture under Foster ahead of their second season in the Big Ten Conference. Foster finished his debut coaching season with a 5-7 record but has since changed the trajectory of the program in his first full offseason, conjuring up UCLA's best recruiting class in over a decade.

Foster and Iamaleava, along with Bruins offensive lineman Garrett DiGriogio and linebacker JonJon Vaughns, will represent UCLA at the Big Ten media days in Las Vegas on July 24 to give fans the first look at Iamaleava's journey in Westwood.