.jpg)
20 hours ago
1
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s move from Tennessee to UCLA was one of the most dramatic stories to come out of the transfer portal this offseason, but Iamaleava and the Bruins are focused on the season ahead of them.
Just last week at Big Ten Football Media Days in Las Vegas, UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster spoke highly of Iamaleava and expressed his excitement for the 2025 season, saying “I think the sky’s the limit.”
The 6-foot-6 quarterback got a confidence boost Monday, as fall camps began across the country and the National College Football Awards Association released its 80-player deep 2025 Maxwell Award Preseason Watchlist.
— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) July 30, 2025Iamaleava was one of 47 quarterbacks named, including seven from the Big Ten Conference. The UCLA first-stringer was joined on the list by conference opponents Drew Allar (Penn State), Luke Altmyer (Illinois), Mark Gronkowski (Iowa), Fernando Mendoza (Indiana), Dylan Raiola (Nebraska) and Demond Williams Jr. (Washington).
Last season, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was honored with the Maxwell Award, presented yearly to the best college football player. Jeanty was selected by the Raiders with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and is expected to have a strong rookie season in Las Vegas.
The athletes on the watchlist aren’t ranked, but On3’s Andy Staples did offer Iamaleava a No. 4 preseason ranking among Big Ten quarterbacks earlier this month. However, the junior transfer may not be enough for the Bruins, who were predicted to finish 15th in the conference by Cleveland.com’s Stephen Means.
English (US)