Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Iamaleava's UCLA Move Was Always About Family

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Connor Moreno | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Nico Iamaleava has been one of the most talked-about people in all of college football this offseason, and will continue to have eyes on him as he takes the Rose Bowl field for the UCLA Bruins.

Though much of the critique has come from his departure from Tennessee after a NIL dispute, Iamaleava assures that his family was the main motivator in getting back to Southern California.

"First off, I loved everything coach [DeShaun] Foster is building with the program," Iamaleava said in the latest episode of UCLA's 'Chasing Saturdays' series. "The direction that they're heading into, I wanted to be a part of that. And my family was another big reason on why I wanted to come back. It all kind of just played out. I'm blessed to be in this position."

Through two weeks of fall camp, Iamaleava has been turning heads and UCLA's offense projects to be better by the day.

"These the dog days of camp, man," Iamaleava said. "Were you get to truly connect with your brothers on the team and strengthen your bond with one another. And I think that during this time, we've done that and we're only growing our relationship stronger."

Iamaleava One Of College Football's Most Interesting People

The Athletic's Joe Rexrode released a list of the 20 most interesting college football people for the 2025 season, and Iamaleava made the cut, along with the likes of Arch Manning, Bill Belichick and even Jon Gruden.

Here's what Rexrode had to say about Iamaleava and why he is one of the most interesting quarterbacks in the sport this season:

"He’s been one of the most-watched players in the sport since the groundbreaking NIL deal that brought him to Tennessee. His first full season on the field was pretty good, not great, but then he didn’t have much great around him either. So whether Iamaleava’s camp was complaining more about a pay raise or about offensive roster support after the season, they handled things terribly, and he ended up in a worse situation. Of course, if his loss proves UCLA’s gain and he can give a jolt of life to a sluggish program while looking more like the NFL prospect he’s supposed to be, Iamaleavawill have Vol Twitter reeling."

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