UCLA Bruins football coach DeShaun Foster sends bold message on Tennessee transfer Nico Iamaleava

The Nico Iamaleava era has officially begun for UCLA football. The former Tennessee quarterback finalized his transfer to the Bruins, ending a dramatic saga of controversy in which Iamaleava demanded $2 million more on his NIL deal and failed to attend spring practices for the Volunteers.

UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster spoke on the Iamaleava transfer, sending a confident message on his decision to welcome a new signal-caller to the team.

"You just have to go with your gut and with the people that you trust," Foster said. "You can't just read everything on social media and come to a conclusion from that. You have to do a little bit more homework. So I think we did a good job in vetting and figuring out what we wanted to do, and we were able to execute and now we're here."

UCLA finished at No. 12 in the Big Ten standings last season, compiling a 3-6 record in conference play (5-7 overall). If he fulfills the potential that made him a top-two recruit out of high school, Iamaleava could change the landscape of UCLA’s program moving forward.

Foster doubled down on his belief in Iamaleava by calling him the ‘No. 1 player in the portal.’ He also took subtle shots at Iamaleava’s haters, which should bode well for his relationship with the sophomore quarterback.

“You want to be in conversations, you want to play big-time ball, you want to have haters, you want all of this stuff because that means that you're trending in the right direction,” Foster said. “This is a good buzz for us … Keeping the local kids here -- a big-time recruit -- letting them know that you don't have to go to certain conferences to be successful and make it to the NFL. You can do it right here in California."

Foster went with his gut by taking a chance on Iamaleava and the inevitable media attention he will bring to UCLA. 

Many college football analysts have cast doubts on Iamaleava and the supposed baggage he and his team bring to the table, but Foster isn’t paying attention to any of the noise. If Iamaleava is smart, he won’t pay attention to it either.