The UCLA Bruins got a bit of good news on Monday when quarterback Nico Iamaleava re-signed with the Bruins, meaning the Southern California native will spend at least one more season in Westwood.
It’s a smart bet for both sides. After a messy exit with Tennessee last year, you can’t blame Iamaleava for dodging the mess this year and sticking with the Bruins after showing his abilities as a dual-threat this past season. It also makes sense for UCLA’s new coaching staff, Iamaleava became a leader in his first year with the program and there’s no guarantee that Bob Chesney was going to find a replacement as talented as Iamaleava.
Iamaleava’s first season with UCLA wasn’t perfect, while he has all the physical traits you could ask for, his accuracy wasn’t always there. Once Jerry Neuheisel took over as the offensive playcaller, Iamaleava really began to become more of a threat with his legs. The Penn State game was a prime example of that, with Iamaleava’s 128 rushing yards being the difference.
The concept of a college player re-signing is still a bizarre one, but it’s adapt or die in this NIL era and thankfully UCLA is adapting. USC’s quarterback Jayden Maiava resigned with the Trojans last week along with plenty of other players across the country.
It’ll be interesting to see if Alonzo Barnett III, who was Chesney’s quarterback at James Madison under offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy, transfers over to UCLA to backup Iamaleava next season. It would have been a tough pill to swallow in the locker room to see a leader like Iamaleava get replaced by a player more familiar with the new coaching staff, and UCLA wisely avoided that fate by retaining Iamaleava.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Nico Iamaleava’s return to UCLA makes plenty of sense for both sides
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
