Iamaleava was forced to leave the field during UCLA’s 48-14 loss to the Washington Huskies at home in Pasadena. Midway through the third quarter, the Tennessee transfer was sacked on a third-down play. With the Bruins down 27-0, the game was pretty much over. However, fans at the Rose Bowl skipped a beat as Iamaleava came down clutching his neck, raising alarms all around Los Angeles.

Now, the University of California in Los Angeles has learned the latest on Iamaleava’s injury, as the Bruins gear up for their last game of the campaign. Taking none other than crosstown rivals, the USC Trojans, UCLA hopes to end the year with a statement, upset victory at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. On that note, interim head coach Tim Skipper issued a sincere comment on the 21-year-old quarterback.

“Right now, we’re still kind of waiting. [Iamaleava is] doing all his rehab stuff today. We’ll see where he is. I guess the best way to put it right now is he’s day-to-day. That’s where that is with Nico. Nico had some neck spasm stuff happen,” Skipper admitted per On3. “Just kind of got tackled funny. Didn’t calm down enough for him to get back into the game.”

Iamaleava’s numbers

With his availability for Saturday’s game up in the air, Iamaleava could be at risk of missing UCLA’s NCAA season-finale. Thus, we take a look at his numbers during his first season with the Bruins.

So far, Iamaleava has completed 181 passes for 1,728 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. Moreover, the former Volunteer has been busy on the ground, being the rushing leader in Westwood with 101 carries for 490 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Iamaleava’s first year in UCLA

Needless to say, Iamaleava’s first college football season with the Bruins has been a rollercoaster. UCLA is heading into the final week of the 2025 NCAA campaign with a 3-8 record (3-5 Big Ten). Following an 0-4 start to the year, the school parted ways with head coach DeShaun Foster, leading to a red-hot three-game win streak under the guidance of interim head coach Tim Skipper.

However, the fire has died down on Iamaleava and UCLA’s trail, as they’ve now dropped four straight. Heading into their matchup with the 8-3 (6-2 Big Ten) USC Trojans, the Bruins are determined to change the tune in what will be their final game of the year. A win over their historic rivals could serve as the cherry on top of an otherwise disastrous season for UCLA. Moreover, the chance to spoil the Trojans’ playoff hopes with a road upset provides all the motivation and bulletin-board material Iamaleava and company could ask for.

Iamaleava and the Bruins put the rest of the league on notice. Taking down the No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions and knocking them out of the rankings doesn’t go unnoticed in the Big Ten. UCLA may not be a juggernaut, but it can still put up a good fight against top programs in college football.

However, an interim coach can only take UCLA so far. It seems the brass in Los Angeles is in the search for the new mastermind behind the Bruins. In times of crisis and confusion, having a familiar face might be the wisest option.

According to reports from college football insider Pete Nakos and On3, current Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch is one name to keep an eye on as the Bruins look to fill the vacant spot left by Foster’s firing.

Background

Fisch has had stints as an assistant coach in the NFL with several franchises—the Los Angeles Rams included. Moreover, he served as offensive coordinator for UCLA in 2017.

Following head coach Jim Mora’s firing, he was named interim head coach for the remainder of the campaign. Fisch has been perfecting his craft, with head coaching stints for the Arizona Wildcats (2020–2023) and Washington Huskies (2024–present).

Back to work

In the meantime, Iamaleava and the Bruins have no time to lose. Though a statement victory, the win over Penn State is only worth one in UCLA’s record. Entering Week 7 of college football with a 1-4 mark, the team in Westwood is far from being allowed to rest on its laurels.

Up next, Iamaleava and company will travel to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans on October 11. Though 2-3 in the NCAA, the Spartans are 0-2 in the league schedule, and the Bruins will hope to avoid conceding them their first conference win of the year.

Back on square one

The game against Michigan State goes beyond the gridiron. For Iamaleava and UCLA, it’s about pride, too. If the Bruins lose to the Spartans, they’ll find themselves with a 1-5 record in the 2025 NCAA season—the same mark UCLA had at this stage last year.

It’d mean that—with or without Iamaleava—nothing has really changed for the University of California in Los Angeles. Winning on the school’s visit to East Lansing is now just as much about keeping hopes alive for the season as it is about sending a message to the rest of the league.

Iamaleava has been in Westwood for roughly six months. Still, he’s been put through the wringer in record time. Much talk has surrounded UCLA as the Tennessee transfer quarterback struggled in transitioning to his new life in Los Angeles. It took a while—and several painful lessons—but the Bruins are starting to reap the fruits of their work.

DeShaun Foster is no longer on University Park. An 0-3 start cost him his seat at the helm of Penn State’s football program. With his departure came transfers, along with decommitments from recruits in the classes of 2026 and 2027.

However, those who remained were determined to right the ship before it was too late in the college football campaign. Iamaleava made sure everybody was on the same page as he delivered a bold statement across the locker room. Needless to say, it did the trick as the Bruins put on a show against the No. 7 Nittany Lions.

“There was a lot of outside noise coming into this game,” Iamaleava said during his post-game press conference. “I was preaching to the guys, ‘If y’all don’t want to be here, man, leave.’ I was basically telling them that whoever still believes we’re in this, and that we’ve got games ahead we can win—let’s roll.”

Lead by example

Much has been said about Iamaleava. Many of those can both be true. Fans across the nation still disapprove of his decision to enter the transfer portal over NIL disputes with the Volunteers. However, his time in UCLA hasn’t been entirely as bad as the Bruins’ record indicates.

Iamaleava has struggled, that’s undeniable, but he’s also been left out to dry in several occasions. More times than one, Iamaleava has been asked to play hero ball for the Bruins. As it stands, the sophomore quarterback is the entire offense in the City of Angels.

So far, Iamaleava 954 passing yards, 6 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Moreover, he’s rushed for 332 yards and 4 touchdowns. No other player on the roster has scored through the ground. The numbers may be good for the Long Beach-native, but they are a recipe for disaster for UCLA.

Ranked no more

Yet another loss against a Big Ten opponent in the NCAA was the tipping point for Penn State in the AP Poll Top 25. Concerns are only growing louder around Drew Allar, James Franklin, and the Nittany Lions’ ability to prevail when the spotlight is brightest.

Calling the UCLA game a tough matchup may be too kind, though. It was expected to be a much easier job—a noon game against the crestfallen Bruins in front of a sea of empty seats in Pasadena—things didn’t go as planned for Penn State. The school in State College had entered the season ranked first in the nation.

The Nittany Lions are now out of the rankings altogether heading into Week 7. Number one is no more, ranked college football program is no more, Happy Valley is happy no more—something must change for Penn State. If there’s a lesson to be learned from its recent reaper, UCLA, it’s that one should never be out of the fight in a season as long as the NCAA’s.

Iamaleava’s college football career with the Bruins got off to the worst possible start. Three weeks into the season, UCLA is still winless and has parted ways with its head coach. Moreover, the Tennessee transfer quarterback has played unimpressively.

With the Big Ten schedule kicking off this weekend for the Bruins, the climb is only getting steeper for Iamaleava and company. UCLA must find its footing on shaky ground without former coach Foster on the sideline. Now it’s up to interim coach Tim Skipper to rally the troops.

Move on

Skipper will see the field as interim coach for the first time on Saturday, October 27, when the Bruins visit the Northwestern Wildcats at Martin Stadium in Evanston. With that in mind, and the recent firing still fresh in memory, Iamaleava dropped a concise statement.

“I’ve been good, man,” Iamaleava said during UCLA’s media availability. “I think coach (Tim) Skipper coming in and relaying the message to us about what we have to do for coach Foster has been great. The whole team has really heard the message.”

It can get ugly

The 2025 NCAA season is only getting started, yet it seems UCLA has smashed down on the panic button. Parting ways with the former head coach led to a domino effect in which several recruits de-committed from the school in Westwood.

The rest of the nation is witnessing the program wander aimlessly in college football. That’s sent all the wrong signals. Essentially, the school is placing all its hope on the hands of Iamaleava and the roster. If they can’t stay afloat and at least competitive in the Big Ten, it could only bring more trouble UCLA’s way.

Up next, the schedule will only get tougher, too. As it stands, the Bruins are set to face four ranked opponents in college football (Penn State, Indiana, Ohio State, and USC). That number could increase if schools like Maryland, Nebraska, and Washington crack the AP’s Top 25 Poll. Needless to say, Iamaleava and his teammates are virtually on their own.

UCLA knew parting ways with its head coach early in the year would only raise more question marks. Still, the Bruins believed it was best to nip the problem in the bud before the season spiraled out of control. It might be too late for that as UCLA is 0-3 before facing a single Big Ten opponent. The college football program in Westwood faces trouble in a new front.

In the NCAA, recruiting is almost as important to build winning programs as actually winning games on Saturdays. The Bruins know this, yet it seems they might’ve underestimated the waves their decision would make all across the country. Firing Foster opened the door for Iamaleava’s potential escape plan, but that’s not even all of it.

In addition to the tense and dramatic atmosphere on campus, UCLA is witnessing the dominoes fall all across the nation with recruits decommitting from the school. In very short notice, 4-star defensive lineman David Schwerzel, 3-star linebacker Ramzak Fruean, and 3-star interior offensive lineman Cooper Javorsky backpedaled on their commitments to the Bruins.

All three of them are members of the 2026 recruiting class. Their decisions cast doubt on UCLA’s status going into next season. As much as it hurts to admit in Westwood, the current campaign might very well be over.

Statements

“Due to the uncertainty at UCLA, and speaking with my family, I’ve made the tough decision to decommit,” Javorsky announced on his X profile. “Thank you to [offensive linemen coach] Andy Kwon and the entire UCLA staff for everything. Excited to find where home will be!“

“I am officially decomitted from UCLA, my recruitment is 100% back open,” Fruean said. Schwerzel voiced a similar comment: “Recruitment 100% back open! Continue to guide me through this process lord.”

Even teenagers in high school are aware of the drama going on in Los Angeles. It won’t be long before actual players on campus decide it might be best to enter the transfer portal and search for a new start in college football.

The show must go on

To say the 2025 NCAA season so far for UCLA has been disappointing and disheartening would be an understatement. With Iamaleava transferring from Tennessee, Bruins fans expected much better results from the 21-year-old signal caller and his teammates.

Though not many fans made their way to the Rose Bowl for the recent matchup with the New Mexico Lobos, those who did walked away in utter disgust and completely let down. Still, the show must go down, even if it’s an embarrassing one to watch.

Up next, the Bruins will visit the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, Illinois. It will be the opening game of UCLA’s Big Ten schedule, which promises to be anything but smooth sailing for Iamaleava and company. As it stands, UCLA will face four ranked opponents: Penn State (at home), Indiana, Ohio State, and rival USC (all on the road).

Nobody really knows how far the dominoes might fall at the University of California in Los Angeles after Foster’s firing. Still, if one thing seems crystal clear, it’s that things could spiral out of control sooner rather than later.

Some might say what starts bad ends bad, and the Bruins’ 2025 college football season might be proving them right so far. There was nothing smooth about Iamaleava’s enrollment at UCLA in the offseason. Now, there’s nothing smooth on the gridiron, as every outing is more tumultuous than the last.

Now what?

With Foster out of the picture in Westwood, the Bruins may believe better days are ahead of them. However, there is an unmissable fact that could cast doubts on the future of Iamaleava and other key players on campus.

“NCAA rules allow athletes on a team with a coaching change to enter the portal the day after the change,” as reported by On3. “At UCLA, Tennessee transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava could be on the move again. Landing somewhere that can help continue his development will be key.”

If Iamaleava does enter the NCAA transfer portal, the story would come full circle for the UCLA quarterback. It would almost be a case of live by the sword, die by the sword for the Bruins, who acquired Iamaleava via the portal and could lose him to it as well.

There’s a catch

While Iamaleava is now eligible to enter the transfer portal and search for a new home in college football, it might not be the best decision. As the 21-year-old has already transferred in the NCAA, he won’t be able to play this season. However, as he’s played in less than four games, Iamaleava can redshirt and retain a year of college eligibility.

“With the one-time transfer rule, athletes can play immediately at new schools. Plus, multi-time transfers who enter will be eligible to play immediately at a new school in the 2025-26 academic year,” per On3. “Because neither team has played more than four games yet, players will also be able to make the push to redshirt the 2025 season if eligible.“

When Iamaleava opted to enter the NCAA transfer portal and enroll at UCLA, he knew fans in Knoxville would never forget it. Now, the Vols are among the best teams in the SEC, while the Bruins are among the worst in the Big Ten.

UCLA and Tennessee will be compared all season long. The quarterback exchange involving Iamaleava and Joey Aguilar was one of the biggest storylines in college football during the offseason. Now, it’s only reasonable that both signal callers will be intertwined.

Both the Bruins and Vols lost in their week 3 outings. However, while UCLA’s plan backfired with DeShaun Foster being fired, Heupel and Tennessee’s papers aren’t burning after a 44-41 loss to Georgia. The polarized stances are best exemplified by Heupel’s message after the game.

“It’s going to hurt,” Heupel said, per On3. “And we need to drink all that in and taste all of it, because if we’re going to move forward and be the team that we’re capable of, this feeling tonight’s got to be a part of what continues to propel us and the urgency and the focus and everything that we do.”

Lick your wounds and come back stronger

Losing to the Dawgs in such heart-crushing fashion hurts for Heupel and the Volunteers. Tennessee has now lost nine straight games against Georgia. However, the NCAA season is long, and there is a lot of college football left to be played. For Tennessee, it’s all about learning from their mistakes and putting the defeat on the back burner.

It may be easier said than done, but it’s not like the Vols have many other options. Moreover, the school put on a great showing against a powerhouse in the NCAA.

Moving on

The story could’ve been much different hadn’t it been for Max Gilbert missed field-goal in the last seconds of the game. Tennessee would’ve won the game at Neyland Stadium and boast a 3-0 record going into week 4. Still that is now water under the bridge for Heupel and company.

The Volunteers face a great opportunity to bounce back and find their mojo next week. On September 20, the UAB Blazers will visit Knoxville in what should be a comfortable win for Heupel and Tennessee. Of course, anything can happen on Saturdays, but if the Vols are serious about their season aspirations, they cannot slip up.

After Iamaleava joined the Bruins through the NCAA transfer portal, expectations only skyrocketed for UCLA. However, Iamaleava’s start to his career in LA has been downright disastrous so far. Three straight losses to kickstart the campaign.

As reported by insider Pete Thamel, UCLA has fired DeShaun Foster after only three weeks in the 2025 NCAA season. Foster had only entered his second year as head coach in the City of Angels, but the lack of results led to his dismissal early in the campaign.

Next man up

The Bruins must climb their way up before going all the way down the rabbit hole. However, that’s much easier said than done when everything is seemingly going against them. Now, it’s time to react or it will be too late. Up next, the Big Ten schedule will begin for UCLA, and it will start off with a tough test in Illinois against the Northwestern Wildcats.

The crestfallen Bruins will be walking into Evanston with a new face at the helm. “UCLA makes this official. Tim Skipper will be the interim,” Thamel reported. “He served as Fresno State’s interim coach last year.“

Struggles

Iamaleava’s production through three weeks is very concerning for UCLA. It’s definitely not what the program expected from the Tennessee transfer. However, it’s also a hint at the overall struggles on the offensive side of the ball.

So far in the new campaign, Iamaleava has registered 608 passing yards (an average of 202.67 yards per game), three touchdowns, and three interceptions. The quarterback leads the team in rushing yards, which is a concerning sight for any program when the leading player accounts for 139 yards in three outings. Needless to say, the Bruins must turn the tide. Whether moving on from Foster is the first step in that direction or not will be answered throughout the year.

Inevitably, criticism toward head coach Foster has started to mount, and speculation is already swirling about what the future may hold for him.

At a time when many might be ready to turn their backs during a rough stretch like this, Iamaleava stepped up and showed why he’s considered the leader of this team, expressing full confidence in the staff — and especially in his head coach — during his remarks to the media.

“I totally believe in Coach Foster. He gives me so much belief to get in the building and go to work. He gives me that ‘want’ to go out there and practice, and practice hard,” he said via SI.com.

“We’re doing him a disservice by not performing for him. He’s telling us everything we need to hear, he’s telling us everything we need to do, and we’re not executing as players. It all falls back on the players. Coach Foster’s done a great job, Coach Tino [Sunseri], and Coach Ikaika [Malloe] have all put us in great positions to win a game and we haven’t done that successfully.”

The Bruins’ difficult moment

A sense of disbelief hangs over Westwood as the UCLA Bruins have stumbled to an unprecedented 0-3 start, a situation that few could have imagined. The highly anticipated debut of quarterback Nico Iamaleava has so far failed to ignite the Bruins’ offense, which has been plagued by a lack of rhythm and costly mistakes.

From poor execution to an inability to close out games, the team appears lost and outmatched on both sides of the ball. The promise that once surrounded this squad has quickly faded, replaced by mounting frustrations as the Bruins search for any sign of life to salvage a season that seems to be spiraling out of control.

Redemption just around the corner

As the leader of this team, Iamaleava knows they can’t afford to rest on their laurels. Securing their first win of the season has become imperative in order to shift the momentum and change the atmosphere within the program.

“You can look at it two ways. You can be 0-3 and you look at it and you fold, and you don’t care about the season. Or you can look at it as – we know that we’re not playing at our best out there for us, to lose these games,” he said.

“It’s one thing if the other team is just better than you, but we’re just shooting ourselves in the foot with so many costly penalties that are costing us in big time moments. For me, I’m looking at the season ahead of us, we’ve got seven or eight more games to play. It’s time to go get better.

What’s next for the Bruins?

• @ Northwestern, September 27
• vs Penn State, October 4
• @ Michigan State, October 11
• vs Maryland, October 18
• @ Indiana, October 25

The Volunteers and Bruins’ season couldn’t have gotten to a more different start. While Tennessee got off to a 2-0 start with incredible performances from Aguilar, UCLA is 0-2, with Iamaleava struggling in both outings.

To make matters worse, Jose Aguilar—Joey’s father—chimed in with a blunt comment on the summer drama, finishing with a cold-blooded dagger to remind Iamaleava and UCLA that the Vols came out on top.

“We don’t have any problems with Nico,” Jose Aguilar said in an interview with Pete Nakos. “If anything, it’s thank you. Joey is in a great spot. That’s what I would say, thank you. He did what he decided to do. Everything that happened, happened. I think it’s clear who won the trade. Look at the fans and the stats. Everything happens for a reason. We’re not at Tennessee without Nico making the decisions he made.”

Iamaleava stats

Since arriving in Los Angeles, Iamaleava hasn’t been at his best. The Bruins need their quarterback to find his mojo back before the 2025 NCAA season slips out of reach. The 0-2 start isn’t fatal, as long as the program can climb out of their hole before it’s too late.

So far, Iamaleava registers 391 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in his first two outings. However, his lack of production is also a reflection of the team’s inconsistencies around him. The rushing game has been almost non-existent, as the quarterback is the leading rusher with 106 yards.

Hoping to flip the page after a deflating start, Iamaleava and the Bruins will take on the New Mexico Lobos at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. It will be the final non-conference game of the regular season, as UCLA will kickstart the Big Ten fixture on the road at Evanston, IL when they face the Northwestern Wildcats.

Aguilar stats

On the other hand, business is booming for Aguilar and the Volunteers. After his first two starts in Knoxville, Aguilar records 535 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Success hasn’t been limited to the signal-caller, either. The Vols’ offense has put on great showings so far in the college football season. The rushing game has been almost unstoppable, putting the league on notice with 505 total yards through two games. Meanwhile, the receiving corps already boasts three players with 100+ yards, which is an exciting sign for Josh Heupel and the staff in Tennessee.

The Volunteers have been firing on all cylinders to start the 2025 campaign, but it could all be in vain if they can’t rise to the upcoming challenge. On Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs will be rolling into town for an electric SEC matchup that could make or break either program’s season.

As the Volunteers made their season debut on August 30 against the Orange, it was time for Aguilar to rise to the occasion and help close the open wound left by Iamaleava’s rushed departure. Aguilar did just that, and afterwards spoke on his arrival after Iamaleava exited the program.

“Everybody welcomed me in pretty fairly when I got here,” Aguilar said during an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show. “I gravitated towards Miles Kitselman pretty quick. He was a big part of my transition ,making it easier. He kind of came in, took me in pretty quick, build a connection like that.

“Chris [Brazzell II], Mike [Matthews], Braylon [Staley], all of them, O-linemen — it made it easy. It felt like I’ve been here for a while, especially with the players and coaches just being so welcoming when I got here. It just felt like it was right.”

Quick refreshing

The football program in Knoxville didn’t enjoy the calmest of springs and summers this past year. Following Tennessee’s playoff berth in the 2024 NCAA season, Iamaleava shocked many entering the transfer portal and moving out to the UCLA Bruins. The young signal-caller was expected to be a star in town, but he ultimately couldn’t look past disagreements with the school on his NIL value.

Iamaleava’s move to UCLA set off a domino effect, ultimately prompting the Bruins’ newest transfer, Aguilar, to change course and enroll at the University of Tennessee. Fans across college football were left speechless, as the two schools had virtually pulled off a trade. When looking at Aguilar and Iamaleava, it’s impossible not to think about the wild events that led to them being where they currently are. However, Aguilar has no interest listening to the outside noise.

“All the outside noise is just rat poison,” Aguilar told media during the postgame press conference. “We only focus about who’s in the building and the team we’ve got. So, we’ve got to go back, execute, dial in on everything we got. Everything outside is rat poison, and we got to focus on ourselves.”

Old manners

Aguilar had played the first two seasons of his college football career with the Appalachian State Mountaineers. And even though he planned to transfer to UCLA before Iamaleava changed his plans, he still isn’t letting his new surroundings change his old customs. Thus, he installed a new tradition in Knoxville.

“There was a tradition at App State of just taking my teammates out to eat. So I kind of wanted to bring that here,” Aguilar stated. “Just going out to eat and just having a fun time, getting outside of football, and just trying to build a connection. Learn everybody’s story, and kind of get an understanding of how they got here, what’s their why, and just build a relationship like that.“

So far, it looks like getting to know his teammates off the field has paid off for Aguilar and the Volunteers. Against Syracuse, the offense exploded for 493 total yards and 5 touchdowns, with the QB throwing for 3 of them. Tennessee will vie to keep it rolling as they host the ETSU Buccaneers (an FCS team) on September 6.