Nico Iamaleava will be back as UCLA’s starting quarterback this season. He has a chance to make a name for himself in the NCAA after battling through an adversity-filled 2025 season.
UCLA head coach Bob Chesney is going into his first season with the Bruins. Chesney led James Madison to its first College Football Playoff berth last season and will look to do the same with UCLA in 2026.
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In an interview on “The Jim Rome Show”, Chesney highlighted Iamaleava’s versatility as a big strength ahead of the 2026 season.
“This kid could do it all,” Chesney said. “He can push the ball vertically down the field. When it’s time to pull the ball down and run he is as electric as any quarterback right now in college football.”
Iamaleava Is A Leader For the Bruins
Chesney also revealed that Iamaleava’s teammates view him as a strong leader. Chesney said UCLA recently held a “leadership vote”, and Iamaleava was the clear frontrunner among his teammates.
“He’s a leader. I look back a lot of times about what these guys just went through. Nico did not show up here until halfway through the summer, maybe more than that,” Chesney said of Iamaleava. “He got started and within the first three weeks of the season, the offensive coordinator was gone, the head coach was gone, the quarterbacks coach was gone.”
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“To be able to keep it together speaks volumes of his leadership and just his mental toughness,” Chesney said. “He loves this game though. He is passionate about this game, his mouth doesn’t stop running when he makes a play against the defense, they don’t stop yelling back at him. It’s just a fun environment.”
As UCLA prepares to enter a new era with Chesney, Iamaleava’s leadership will be an invaluable asset for the Bruins.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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