Nico Iamaleava Makes Phil Steele's Preseason All-Big Ten Teams

American Sports Writer Phil Steele released his Official Preseason All-Big Ten Teams ahead of the 2025 season, and it featured redshirt sophomore transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Iamaleava is on Steele's Fourth Team All-Big Ten, behind Penn State's Drew Allar, Illinois' Luke Altmyer and Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, all in that order.

"Allar is the top quarterback on the All-Big Ten list from Steele," On3 writer Nick Kosko said reviewing Steele's list. "A potential first round pick, if not top 10 selection, Allar looks to lead Penn State to a national title. Altmyer returns to Illinois in 2025 after a 10-win season and could elevate the Fighting Illini to Big Ten title contention. Mendoza comes in from Cal after a successful stint and Iamaleava had a much talked about transfer from Tennessee that will be under the magnifying glass."

Steele recently predicted UCLA would have a lackluster second season in the Big Ten, predicting the Bruins would be the 14th-ranked team in the conference next season.

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.