UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster isn’t going to tell us who will back up QB Nico Iamaleava, but he was willing to list a few options to tease the media during his media availability on Wednesday.
Foster said that both redshirt sophomores Luke Duncan and Pierce Clarkson are impressing during training camp but the battle still goes beyond just Duncan and Clarkson.
“It’s still up for grabs. I don’t want to say that someone has taken a step forward,” Foster said. “But I think Luke is trying to take advantage of his opportunity and I would say Pierce is doing the same thing. They’re just trying to find a way to really grab it and just run with it.”
Clarkson comes to UCLA after spending two seasons with Louisville, where he appeared in three games for the Cardinals. Duncan has been with the Bruins since 2023, signing on with UCLA after attending Miramonte High School in Orinda, California. Duncan has yet to see any game action as a Bruin but if he’s able to secure the backup position, that could change in 2025.
“There’s other guys that are in there but I just didn’t name them.” Foster said.
With less than 10 days from UCLA’s opener against Utah, Foster will have to make a decision soon but the Bruins will hope to not see too much of their backup quarterback this season, regardless of who it is.
The Bruins don’t have a single upperclassman quarterback on their roster, with freshmen Madden Iamaleava, Colton Gumino, Henry Hasselbeck and Karson Gordon rounding out the QB room for UCLA.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: DeShaun Foster still not ready to name UCLA’s second string quarterback
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
