Often, off-field controversy shadow on-field talent. And that’s exactly what’s happening with Nico Iamaleava after his messy Tennessee departure. The former 5-star QB shocked the SEC world when he opted out of spring football in Knoxville and headed back home to LA. A large part because of a failed NIL negotiation with the Vols. No wonder people are throwing shade behind his back, but come on, he’s just 20, and he’s not the sole decision maker in this fiasco. But behind the drama, UCLA HC DeShaun Foster took to opportunity to send a clear message to the rest of the Big Ten and the CFB as a whole.

Nico Iamaleava isn’t back home just for the noise, he’s there to win. Speaking on The Unafraid Show with George Wrighster on May 29, DeShaun Foster didn’t hold back. “Being that he’s a playoff quarterback, it was huge,” he said. “It was in every television, all social media streams, everything. But when you’re getting a big time quarterback, somebody that can catapult this program in the direction that we need to go in, it was something that I had to do.” That “something” turned into landing both Nico and his younger brother, Madden Iamaleava. And you could already feel the weight of expectation placed on the QB’s shoulders. 

While critics wanted to make it about NIL or hometown comfort, DeShaun Foster made it about belief. “At the end of the day, they’re right back home where they need to be,” he said. Nico Iamaleava is already a talented QB leading an SEC team to the College Football Playoffs. Last season, he threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns with a 71.0% adjusted completion rate. And for those doubting his abilities, this kid even cracked the top-5 list on PFF’s 2026 NFL Draft preseason rankings. 

Draft analyst Trevor Sikkema ranked Nico Iamaleava as the No. 5 QB prospect for next year’s draft. “Iamaleava’s footwork is very impressive — light and quick — to create a stable throwing platform or escape pressure instantly… There’s a lot of talk about Iamaleava, and he certainly needs to be more consistent, but he had pro-level potential as a passer.” You can’t teach that kind of presence. You can only polish it. And his arrival gave the boys in UCLA “a nice impact” as Foster said. “Guys were like ‘Oh they’re coming? Okay cool.’It kind of made one more people want to jump in the boat.” But unfortunately, not everyone sees eye to eye with the new Bruins QB1. 

Nico Iamaleava faces negative remarks from anonymous sources 

An anonymous Big Ten coach was clearly unimpressed. In Athlon Sports’ annual coaching whispers, one shot went straight at Nico Iamaleava and DeShaun Foster’s setup. “If Nico wasn’t a local kid, I don’t think these two end up together,” the coach said. “It’s going to be fascinating to watch, and it’s hard to understand if you’re in Nico’s camp. This is a less talented roster than Knoxville, and they’re rebuilding the offensive line with portal guys and a new OL coach and coordinator.”

Another source had a similar skeptical outlook — “This is a team with a ton of questions, an almost all-new staff and a superstar transfer at QB. They’re going to steal a lot of attention from USC for a bit, but it’s going to be a huge challenge for a young, unproven head coach to keep this from becoming a circus that falls apart.”

DeShaun Foster may be just in his second year at UCLA with an overall 5-7 HC record. But this kind of narrative only brings more attention to UCLA, and the 45-year-old sees it as an opportunity. “They’re going to put you on the big stage. So you better be ready to play,” he said. “You know, I’m just letting guys know you’re going to get an opportunity to play in front of everybody because they want to see the good or the bad. So if you get this opportunity, take full advantage of it.” 

So yeah, UCLA may not be everyone’s preseason darling in 2025. But if Nico Iamaleava delivers, some people would be eating their own words.