Gorney: UCLA will emerge from Nico Iamaleava drama as the big winner
With former five-star QB Nico Iamaleava‘s transfer from Tennessee to UCLA now complete, it appears the Bruins have joined in on becoming a target of misplaced ridicule.
This week renowned Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke called the Bruins beggars and wrote that the whole thing stinks to Rocky Top. The idea posited by Plaschke that somehow both UCLA and Iamaleava lost in this situation is beyond absurd.
Think what you want about Iamaleava’s well-publicized departure from Tennessee – and I wholeheartedly believe there are two sides to it and the Vols are escaping this mess remarkably cleaner than they should – but whatever you think, don’t criticize the Bruins.
Trust me, UCLA will emerge from this drama as the winner.
Transferring as a quarterback isn’t a guaranteed disaster. If anything, it could be the opposite.
Four of the six first-round NFL Draft picks in 2024 – Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix and Bo Nix – were transfers. Daniels, Penix and Nix were basically dead in the water at their old schools (Arizona State, Indiana and Auburn, respectively) before finding stardom, a Heisman Trophy and millions of dollars at their second stops.
The last three Heisman Trophy winners – Travis Hunter, Daniels and Williams – were all transfers. Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow, three former Heisman winners and No. 1 overall picks, were going nowhere at Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Ohio State, respectively, before transferring to Oklahoma, Oklahoma and LSU and putting together some of the best careers college football has ever seen.
Why wouldn’t UCLA see if Iamaleava could create a similar path?
In UCLA coach DeShaun Foster’s first season, the Bruins rushed for four touchdowns – all year! – and quarterback Ethan Garbers threw 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Garbers was a transfer from Washington.
How, again, are the Bruins not better with world-class talent and former five-star Iamaleava running the show now?
In 2023 as then-coach Chip Kelly was putting together his resume searching for a better job – he left UCLA after begging the administration to keep him, only to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator – he threw five-star freshman Dante Moore to the wolves before replacing him with Garbers.
And guess what? Moore transferred.
Just like Iamaleava did.
Days after Iamaleava’s announcement, his four-star QB brother, Madden, left Arkansas to join him in Westwood.
The Bruins went 5-7 last season and didn’t win a single game by double digits. They have four commitments in the 2026 class now, all receivers, and they’re over-the-top excited about playing with Iamaleava, who grew up down the 405 freeway.
“Getting Nico is great for us wide receivers but getting him and his little brother is even better,” four-star commit Jaron Pula said. “You couldn’t ask for more. That was probably one of our biggest worries for me and Kennan (Pula) was, who is gonna be our quarterback? But I guess we don’t have to worry anymore. Nico alone is great. He has a cannon and he has experience playing in the top conference.”
Four-star commit Jonah Smith said: “Exciting is the word I would use. I’m eager to get up there and see a practice but for sure can’t wait for the fall.”
Neither can Iamaleava. Neither can the Bruins.
UCLA is all-in on the five-star quarterback. It seems like a good place to park your money.
