Did not play in UCLA’s last 3 games.
Ty Dieffenbach started the last one, W 27-0 vs Nevada, Oct 31.
UCLA’s next game: at Minnesota, Sat Nov 7, 12:00 p.m. ET · FOX
UCLA has won all five of the games played. A balanced passer.
Strongest: 16% of throws gain 20 or more yards, 11th best of 158 starters.
Plays most like Roggow, Akron.
Passing yards
982
72 of 116, 62%
TD–INT
4–4
8.5 per throw
NCAA rating
137.7
ZPR
44
not ranked yet
Graded Shaky at Maryland, the last full game; solid or better in 3 of 5 graded games.
Best by our grade: Purdue. Lowest: at Maryland.
Tap a game for its plays
at California
W 45–24·Unranked
Solid
Strong start, faded late · 184 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT · Rush 9 for 29, 1 TD · The interception cost about 6 points of win chance · Sacked 2
Thought you can take out Iamaleava? Guess again
UCLA fan
Biggest swing: a Q1 run added 22 points of win chance. Win chance: 28% to 50%.
San Diego State
W 28–10·Unranked
Rough
Passing grade only · 151 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT · Rush 13 for 57 · The interception cost about 6 points of win chance · Sacked 2
Sideline reporter glitched out trying to pronounce "Iamaleava."
UCLA fan
None of the quarterback’s own plays moved the team's chance of winning by more than a few points.
Purdue
W 52–38·Unranked
Solid
276 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT · Rush 7 for 55 · Sacked 1
Iamaleava, that was not worth it lol
UCLA fan
Biggest swing: a Q1 completion added 19 points of win chance. Win chance: 63% to 82%.
at Maryland
W 54–3·Unranked
Shaky
209 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT · Rush 6 for 2 · Sacked 1
Don't need any Iamaleava runs at this point in the game, come on coaching staff
UCLA fan
Biggest swing: a Q1 sack cost the team 11 points of win chance. Win chance: 46% to 36%.
at Oregon
W 17–15·Ranked #13
Out at half
Out at half; Ty Dieffenbach played the second half · 162 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT · Rush 7 for 1 · Interceptions cost about 22 points of win chance · Lost a fumble · Sacked 1
Raiola being nice to Iamaleava, if you're going to be ass I will to. Nice guy.
UCLA fan
Biggest swing: a Q1 completion added 13 points of win chance. It flipped the game for the team: 41% to 54%.
Wisconsin
W 17–7·Unranked
Did not play
Michigan State
W 28–10·Unranked
Did not play
Nevada
W 27–0·Unranked
Did not play
Season
Gets better after halftime
Each column is a quarter. Blue and up is a good stretch for the quarterback, red and down a bad one, hatched means the game was already decided. A red cross is a turnover and a black dot a touchdown. The word on the right grades the whole game; on games with a lot of running it grades the passing only. A gold line means the r/CFB game thread kept naming the quarterback. Dashed outlines on the Season row are last season’s average. Tap a game to open its plays: each bar is one of the quarterback’s plays, up helped the team’s chance of winning and down hurt it, and the grey line is that chance.
The word grades the game against every FBS quarterback start, from Rough to Great, using the same throws as the season Zeitgeist Passer Rating and adjusting for the defense faced. Bars are points added per throw in that quarter. The Season row leaves out quarters after a game was decided.
Balanced
Also: big-play arm
The dot is this quarterback, among this season’s starters; the tick is the middle.
Throws at a middling depth and runs some. 5.4 carries a game. Closest matches: Roggow, Craig, Nelson, Curtis.
Where the throws go
Runs 5.4 times a game; 62% of starters run less.
Closest in style
Nearer the middle means more alike.
Compared with the 158 FBS starters this season for throws and running, and with 219 quarterbacks across 2 seasons for the matches, on how they play and how they have done.
Over the last few games, UCLA fans have been down on Iamaleava.
“Iamaleava just is not a guy man”
“If Iamaleava hadnt lolfumbled this would be a shutout”
“Iamaleava, that was not worth it lol”
From r/CFB game threads. Read by AI.
21 stories this week, from 12 outlets.
Nico Iamaleava plans to return to UCLA rather than enter 2027 NFL Draft
247Sports +1 Oct 29
Written , before the 2026 season
The saga is the part everyone knows: a spring-2025 standoff over his deal at Tennessee, a skipped practice, a coach "moving on," the portal, and a landing at UCLA inside of a week. The football got buried under it.
In 2025 he threw for 1,928 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions, completed 64 percent, and led the Bruins in rushing with 505 yards — including a five-touchdown night in a 42-37 upset of seventh-ranked Penn State — on a team that still finished 3-9. He forwent the 2026 draft to come back under a new staff, betting on himself a second time. The forward stakes are whether the most-scrutinized quarterback in college football can finally turn five-star traits into steady, in-structure production. Get there, and the redemption arc lands and the draft stock follows. Don't, and the saga stays the story.
from 12 outlets
Nico Iamaleava plans to return to UCLA rather than enter 2027 NFL Draft
247Sports +1 Oct 29 · 2 outlets
Talk is up: 21 stories this week, from 1 the week before.
from 37 outlets
Nico Iamaleava expected to miss remainder of UCLA football season with knee injury
CBS News +3 Oct 12 · 5 outlets
A to Z Sports +1‘I would want to blow up for him’ - Nico Iamaleava gets candid about Joe Milton at TennesseeAug 13
Sports Illustrated +1UCLA's Nico Iamaleava Reveals Surprising Truth Ahead of 2026Aug 20
On3Nico Iamaleava opens up about staying at UCLA after a 'tough' first season with the BruinsAug 1
UCLA BruinsMedia Availability - Nico IamaleavaAug 7On3UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava speaks to media after Day 2 of camp (with transcript)Aug 7A to Z SportsNico Iamaleava makes it crystal clear how he feels about his decision to go from Tennessee to UCLAAug 2
Locked OnNico Iamaleava's emergence will define UCLA Football's Season in 2026!Aug 3
Yahoo SportsNew UCLA OC Dean Kennedy values Nico Iamaleava the personAug 9Sports IllustratedNico Iamaleava’s Biggest Growth at UCLA Isn't Just on FieldAug 14247Sports +1Nico Iamaleava, Sammy Omosigho Named UCLA Football Captains for the 2026 SeasonSep 2Yahoo SportsBehind Enemy Lines: Will Nico Iamaleava get more help at UCLA in 2026?Aug 11Locked OnNico Iamaleava takes command With Offense Under Bob Chesney’s New EraAug 17Yahoo SportsSammy Omosigho and Nico Iamaleava named as UCLA's permanent captainsSep 3Yahoo SportsUCLA coach Bob Chesney denounces Bear Alexander's 'egregious' punch to back of QB Nico Iamaleava's head vs. Oregon that refs missedOct 12On3UCLA OC Dean Kennedy reviews QB Nico Iamaleava's latest performance, previews Maryland (with transcript)Sep 23247SportsBob Chesney pleased with Nico Iamaleava's offseason progressAug 3Sports IllustratedWhy UCLA Fall Camp Crucial for Nico Iamaleava's DevelopmentAug 7247SportsUCLA football fall camp: Day 2 Nico Iamaleava and Rodrick Pleasant media availability, takeawaysAug 7247SportsUCLA football VIP practice observations on offense: Nico Iamaleava and Josh Phifer connect once againAug 17UCLA BruinsQuarterback Nico Iamaleava Named to Maxwell Award Watch ListAug 3Yahoo SportsWhere did USA TODAY rank UCLA junior Nico Iamaleava among Big Ten QBs?Aug 19UCLA BruinsNico Iamaleava Selected to Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch ListAug 20247Sports +1
Heavy +1Yahoo SportsSports Illustrated +1Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated +1247Sports +1
New York Post +1Yahoo SportsSports Illustrated +1Each week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories we tracked, by school.
UCLA179 stories2025 to nowMost about: in his words, profile and feature, preview and matchup.
CBS News +3Nico Iamaleava expected to miss remainder of UCLA football season with knee injuryOct 12Sports Illustrated +1Why I'm Buying Hype Around Nico Iamaleava for UCLA FootballAug 4A to Z Sports +1‘I would want to blow up for him’ - Nico Iamaleava gets candid about Joe Milton at TennesseeAug 13New York Post +1UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava forking over big bucks to feed linemenAug 19Sports Illustrated +1UCLA's Nico Iamaleava Reveals Surprising Truth Ahead of 2026Aug 20
Tennessee2023 to 2024not trackedStories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
Fans first named Nico Iamaleava at California.
Yahoo SportsNov 1Yahoo SportsOct 30Yahoo SportsOct 30
Larry Brown SportsOct 30Yahoo SportsOct 30Yahoo SportsOct 30Yahoo SportsOct 30
Rocky Top InsiderOct 30
Daily BruinOct 29Aura™ · Him Watch
Aura compares how much fans talk about this player with how well this player plays, each ranked among QBs.
+55aura tax
21st percentile our passing-value metric (weighted expected points added) ranked among 624 QBs
— the talk ranks higher than the play.Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 5 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | Grade | CMP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | YPA | QBR | SK | RUSH | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 45-24@ California | Solid | 14/22 | 184 | 0 | 1 | 8.4 | 52.4 | 2 | 29 | |
| Wk 2 | W 28-10vs San Diego State | Rough | 14/22 | 151 | 0 | 1 | 6.9 | 31.0 | 2 | 57 | |
| Wk 3 | W 52-38vs Purdue | Solid | 19/31 | 276 | 3 | 0 | 8.9 | 83.0 | 1 | 55 | Season-high 276 yds |
| Wk 4 | W 54-3@ Maryland | Shaky | 15/24 | 209 | 1 | 0 | 8.7 | 25.0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Wk 6 | W 17-15@ No. 13 Oregon | Out at half | 10/17 | 162 | 0 | 2 | 9.5 | 17.6 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 72/116 | 982 | 4 | 4 | 8.5 | — | 7 | 144 |
10 of 17 for 162 yards and 2 interceptions.
Not drawn: the play-by-play doesn’t add up to the box score.
15 of 24 for 209 yards and a touchdown. He was 1 of 9 on third and fourth down.
13-yard completion to Semaj Morgan on 3rd and 5. First quarter, tied 0-0. Converted.
Incomplete to Landon Ellis on 3rd and 11. First quarter, tied 0-0.
Sacked for a 4-yard loss on 4th and 3. First quarter, tied 0-0. Turnover on downs.
83-yard touchdown pass to Aidan Mizell. Fourth quarter, made it 44-3.
Each pass sits where it was caught or thrown to, in yards past the line. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
19 of 31 for 276 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Not drawn: the play-by-play doesn’t add up to the box score.
14 of 22 for 151 yards and an interception.
Not drawn: the play-by-play doesn’t add up to the box score.
14 of 22 for 184 yards and an interception. He was 4 of 9 on third and fourth down.
22-yard completion to Wayne Knight on 3rd and 2. First quarter, down 7-0. Converted.
Incomplete to Landon Ellis on 3rd and 4. First quarter, tied 7-7.
Intercepted. Second quarter, up 21-10. Picked off by California’s Kingston Lopa.
43-yard completion to Mikey Matthews. Second quarter, up 21-17.
Each pass sits where it was caught or thrown to, in yards past the line. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
| Best by our grade | Purdue | W 52-38 · Graded solid · 276 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT · Rush 7 for 55 · Sacked 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest by our grade | at Maryland | W 54-3 · Graded shaky · 209 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT · Rush 6 for 2 · Sacked 1 |
| Stat | His | Nation | Big Ten |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 982 | 116th of 370 | 17th of 50 |
| Yards an attempt | 8.5 | T-29th of 152 | T-5th of 22 |
| Touchdown passes | 4 | T-134th of 370 | T-21st of 50 |
| Passer rating | 137.7 | T-77th of 152 | 13th of 22 |
| Completion percentage | 62.1 | 95th of 152 | 13th of 22 |
| Rushing yards | 144 | 85th of 370 | 6th of 50 |
| Rushing touchdowns | 1 | T-117th of 370 | T-14th of 50 |
Counting stats rank all FBS quarterbacks with a pass attempt; the rates rank those with at least 10 attempts a game.
Sorted by passing yards. Gray: under 10 attempts a game, so not ranked on yards an attempt.
Conference ranks count every player in the conference with a row in that stat, any position. Career ranks count current FBS players, from the games in our log.
Ratings of the games shown run from -9 to +17 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Morgan and Rowe saw 50 of the 117 charted throws.
| Receiver | Targets, caught | Targets | Catches | Yards | Throw depth | After catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semaj Morgan | 27 | 18 | 215 | 10.6 | 3.7 | |
| Brian Rowe Jr. | 23 | 12 | 185 | 12.7 | 7.0 | |
| Wayne Knight | 12 | 10 | 91 | 0.2 | 10.1 | |
| Landon Ellis | 9 | 5 | 68 | 10.7 | 4.2 | |
| Brayden Loftin | 6 | 5 | 66 | 1.0 | 3.0 | |
| 9 others | 29 | 20 | 346 | 10.0 | 7.7 | |
| No receiver charted | 11 | All four interceptions are among these | ||||
Play by play: 117 passes, 72 caught, 982 yards; the box score counts 116 attempts. Throw depth: average air yards per target. After catch: average yards after the catch per catch. Bar: targets; the blue part was caught.
Pass Profile · True throw depth (charted plays)
Adjusted ANY/A, sack rate, and where the yards came from
Totals here are the box score's. Play-by-play lists 117 passing plays (72 completions) against the box score's 116 attempts (72 completions), and the depth buckets use play-by-play.
Adjusted ANY/A
6.8081 of 185 QBsSack rate
5.7%107 of 185 QBsSacked on 5.7% of dropbacks (107 of 185) — and still 81 of 185 in Adjusted ANY/A.
Adjusted ANY/A uses full-season box-score totals (attempts, yards, TDs, INTs); sack rate is play-by-play-derived.
Behind LOS · Negative air yds
Short · 0–9 air yds
Middle · 10–19 air yds
Deep · 20+ air yds
Overall 62.1% completion on 116 attempts · 53% completion on 19 deep attempts (20+ air yds).
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 5 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | TD/g | YPA | INT/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 214 | 1.5 | 7.9 | 0.5 |
| Road3g | 185 | 0.3 | 8.9 | 1.0 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | TD/g | YPA | INT/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-75g | 196 | 0.8 | 8.5 | 0.8 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bob Chesney
Pass share
40.8%
218 pass / 316 run
Plays / game
66.8
8 games
Scheme: Run-leaning.
| Nico Iamaleava | Threw in 5 of 8 games · 72 of 116, 982 yds, 4 TD, 4 INT · 8.5 yards an attempt on 116 attempts · ran for 144 yds, 1 TD |
| Ty Dieffenbach | Threw in 4 of 8 games · 59 of 100, 683 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT · 6.8 yards an attempt on 100 attempts · ran for -2 yds, 1 TD |
| Madden Iamaleava | Threw in 1 of 8 games · 0 of 1, 0 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT · 0.0 yards an attempt on 1 attempt · ran for 6 yds, 0 TD |
Box score. Every quarterback on the team who has thrown a pass this season.
Who threw in each quarter. Blue: Nico Iamaleava. Gray: Madden Iamaleava, Ty Dieffenbach. From the play by play.
Player standing · 2026
Fewer passes and runs a game than most FBS quarterbacks who play every week.
Recognition
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #16 of 19 Big Ten QBs
A base rate for the rank, not a forecast of this player: 22% of returning players who ranked #11–20 at their position in their conference made an all-conference team the next season (95% confidence interval 19–25%).
Returning starter at quarterback for a 3-9 UCLA team that went +14 in the portal.
2026 is in progress.
A blue-chip recruit with honors.
Iamaleava is a dynamic athlete with a big arm and a production gap, and the data tells the same story the scouts do. As a runner he's elite — our play-by-play puts his EPA per carry in the 98th percentile and his explosive-run rate in the 97th, top-end quarterback speed on designed runs and scrambles. As a passer he's been ordinary: an 18th-percentile EPA per dropback and an 11th-percentile average depth of target — a lot of short, safe throws. Draft evaluators (The Draft Network) credit "prototypical" arm talent and high-velocity throws into tight windows, but flag that he "missed too many shots downfield" and can "lock onto his primary read" rather than progress — best improvising, a work in progress within structure. The frame is the whole career: the tools are real, the in-rhythm passing is the unfinished part.
The role got bigger.
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
4 coachesPlayed for 4 head coaches at 2 schools: Josh Heupel, Deshaun Foster, Tim Skipper and Bob Chesney.
