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Jersey Number 9
Nico Iamaleava
- Position:
- Quarterback
- Height:
- 6-6
- Weight:
- 215
- Class:
- Redshirt Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Long Beach, Calif.
- Previous School:
- Warren HS / Tennessee
Career Highlights
• 2024 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Finalist
• 2024 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Semifinalist
• 2024 Citrus Bowl MVP
• Associated Press National Player of the Week (Oct. 6, 2025)
• Maxwell Award Player of the Week (Oct. 7, 2025)
• Walter Camp National FBS Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 7, 2025)
• Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week (Oct. 7, 2025)
• 2-time Manning Award QB of the Week (last: Oct. 8, 2025)
• Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 6, 2025)
• 2-time Davey O’Brien Award Great 8 List (last: Oct. 6, 2025)
• 4-time SEC Freshman of the Week (last: Dec. 2, 2024)
• 2-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll recipient (2024, 2023)
Career Summary
Iamaleava has played in 29 games and made 25 starts over three seasons at UCLA (2025) and Tennessee (2023-24) … has completed 449-of-702 pass attempts (64.0%) for 4,858 yards and 34 touchdowns with 12 interceptions in his career … has rushed 241 times for 934 yards and 10 touchdowns … totaled 2,930 passing yards and 21 touchdowns on 241-of-379 passing (64.0%) with five interceptions during his time at Tennessee … rushed for 435 yards on 129 attempts with six touchdowns as a Volunteer … career-long completion in 86 yards, occurring in Week 12 of 2024 at Vanderbilt … career-long rush is 52 yards, coming against Penn State in Week 5 of 2025 … career high in passing yards is 314 set Week 1 in 2024 versus UT-Chattanooga … career-high in passing touchdowns is four set twice in Weeks 11 (UTEP) and 12 (at Vanderbilt) in 2024 … has thrown for 250-plus yards in four contests … has one 100-plus-yard rushing performance (128 vs. Penn State, 2025) … has one multi-rushing TD performance (3 vs. Penn State, 2025) … has totaled six 50-plus-yard completions.
2025
Played and started in 11 games … completed 208-of-323 passes (64.4%) for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns with seven interceptions … led UCLA in rushing yards (505), carries (112) and rushing touchdowns (4) for an average of 45.9 rushing yards per game … accounted for 17 of UCLA’s 24 touchdowns … led UCLA with 10 20-plus-yard plays (all rushing) … threw for at least 200 yards in four different contests … UCLA’s leading rusher in a team-high five games … steered UCLA to its first victory over an AP top-10 opponent since 2010 in a 42-37 win over No. 7 Penn State, accounting for a career-high-tying five touchdowns (three rushing, two passing), 166 passing yards and 128 rushing yards (Oct. 4) … rushed for a career-high 128 yards on 16 carries against the Nittany Lions, which were the most by a Bruin QB since Brett Hundley in 2014 … his three rushing touchdowns against Penn State tied a UCLA QB single-game record that was last accomplished by Rick Bashore in 1978 (Gary Beban and John Sciarra also accomplished the feat) … had a career-long 52-yard rush against Penn State … completed 17-of-24 passes for 166 yards with two touchdowns in the Penn State win … the performance earned him national weekly honors from the Associated Press, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Davey O’Brien Award and Manning Award as well as Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week … the next game, completed 16-of-24 passes for 180 yards and a season-high three passing touchdowns in a 38-13 win at Michigan State (Oct. 11) … steered two scoring drives and completed 9-of-15 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter to lead UCLA to a 20-17 win over Maryland on Homecoming (Oct. 18) … finished the Maryland contest completing 21-of-35 passes for 221 yards and one touchdown … completed 17-of-25 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 15 times for 86 yards against Nebraska (Nov. 8) … reached 200 yards passing for the third time this season in the season finale at USC, completing 27-of-38 attempts for one touchdown (Nov. 29) … threw for a season-high 255 yards on 29-for-41 passing with a touchdown at UNLV (Sept. 6)
2024 (Tennessee)
Started all 13 games and led Tennessee to a College Football Playoff appearance with a 10-3 record as a redshirt freshman … was the first Tennessee freshman to lead the program to 10 regular season wins … was the first Tennessee quarterback to win 10 games as the starter since Casey Clausen in 2003 … finalist for Polynesian Player of the Year … named SEC Freshman of the Week four times … completed 213-of-334 passes for 2,616 yards and nine touchdowns with five interceptions … rushed for 364 yards and three scores on 109 attempts … ranked second in the SEC with six 50-plus-yard completions, which also tied for 10th nationally … accounted for 151 yards of total offense and two rushing touchdowns in the CFP First Round at eventual national champion Ohio State (Jan. 21) … posted five games with multiple passing touchdowns … completed 18-of-26 passes for 257 yards and four touchdowns, including a career-long 86-yard completion, in a win at Vanderbilt, earning him a spot on the Davey O’Brien Award Great 8 List for Week 14 (Nov. 30) … posted back-to-back games with four touchdowns versus UTEP (Nov. 23) and at Vanderbilt … completed 17-of-23 passes (73.9%) for 209 yards while rushing for 36 yards against UTEP … completed 20-of-33 passes for 167 yards at Georgia (Nov. 16) … was 8-of-13 passing for 174 yards and two touchdowns in the first half of a win over Mississippi State before missing the second half with an injury (Nov. 9) … posted his highest SEC completion percentage (73.7%) versus Kentucky while setting career highs in completions (28) and pass attempts (38) with 292 yards and one touchdown (Nov. 2) … completed 14-of-27 passes with 194 yards and threw the game-winning 16-yard touchdown with 5:52 left in the fourth quarter to beat Alabama (Oct. 19) … went 16-of-26 passing for 169 yards in a win over Florida (Oct. 12) … in his first career SEC start, completed 13-of-21 passes for 194 yards, including a 66-yard TD completion, to beat Oklahoma on the road (Sept. 21) … was 10-of-16 passing for 173 yards and a 53-yard touchdown in two quarters of action versus Kent State (Sept. 14) … passed for 211 yards and two touchdowns while adding a career-high 65 rushing yards and score on the ground in a win over N.C. State, earning him Manning Award QB of the Week (Sept. 7) … in his first home start, completed 22-of-28 passes for a career-high 314 yards and three touchdowns in the first half of a win versus UT-Chattanooga (Aug. 31) … his 314 yards versus UT-Chattanooga broke the program record for passing yards in a half and marked the fourth total 300-yard performance in a half by a Tennessee QB … earned a spot on the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
2023 (Tennessee)
Played in five games and made his first career start versus Iowa in the Citrus Bowl (Jan. 1) … served as Tennessee’s backup quarterback for the regular season and earned a redshirt … finished the year completing 28-of-45 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns with now interceptions … added 71 rushing yards on 20 carries with three scores … thrusted into his first career start for the 2024 Citrus Bowl versus Iowa, leading Tennessee to a 35-0 shutout victory in which he was named MVP … accounted for 178 yards of total offense and four touchdowns against Iowa’s defense … completed 12-of-19 passes for 151 yards and one touchdown while rushing 15 times for 27 yards and three scores on the ground … tied a Tennessee bowl game record with three rushing touchdowns … saw his most extensive action of the regular season versus Vanderbilt, completing 9-of-12 passes for 66 yards in a victory (Nov. 25) … orchestrated two productive drives in a win versus UConn, including an eight-play, 78-yard TD drive in the third quarter that ended in the first touchdown pass of his career (Nov. 4) … finished the game 5-of-9 passing for 86 yards and also had a 25-yard scamper in the win over UConn … completed 2-of-3 pass attempts for 11 yards and added an eight-yard rush while leading a scoring drive in his collegiate debut versus Virginia (Sept. 2) … earned a spot on the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
High School
Graduated from Warren High School (Downey, Calif.) where he spent his sophomore, junior and senior seasons … also prepped at Long Beach Poly High School (Long Beach, Calif.) as a freshman and spring of his junior year … ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the Class of 2023 by On3 … five-star prospect according to 247Sports and Rivals … four-star prospect according to ESPN … tabbed the No. 2 overall recruit in the nation by Rivals and 247Sports … ranked No. 23 overall in the ESPN300 … named the 2022 Polynesian High School Player of the Year and selected as the Offensive MVP of the Polynesian Bowl … named to the All-CIF DII team in 2021 and 2022 … as a senior in 2022, led Warren High School to a 9-2 record and CIF-Southern Section Division II playoff appearance with 1,986 passing yards and 25 touchdowns on 119-of-199 passing … also rushed for 399 yards and six scores on 46 carries … as a junior in 2021, led Warren to an 8-1 record and a CIF-SS DII playoff appearance with 2,244 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and one interception on 162-of-272 passing … rushed for three touchdowns and 158 yards … coached by Kevin Pearson at Warren … also an elite volleyball player … played one match at Long Beach Poly as a freshman before the COVID-19 shutdown.
Personal
Born Nicholaus Iamaleava Jr. in Long Beach, Calif. … is of Samoan descent … parents are Marleinna and Nicholaus Iamaleava … has seven siblings … brothers are Matt and Madden … sisters are Nicaylah, McKennah, Ninalei, Mallory and Nori … shares the UCLA QB room with Madden … sister, Nicaylah, played volleyball at Cypress College … older brother, Matt, played volleyball at Long Beach State … sociology major … last name is pronounced ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va.
Iamaleava’s Career Passing Statistics (2023-24 at Tennessee)
Iamaleava’s Career Rushing Statistics (2023-24 at Tennessee)
• 2024 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Finalist
• 2024 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Semifinalist
• 2024 Citrus Bowl MVP
• Associated Press National Player of the Week (Oct. 6, 2025)
• Maxwell Award Player of the Week (Oct. 7, 2025)
• Walter Camp National FBS Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 7, 2025)
• Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week (Oct. 7, 2025)
• 2-time Manning Award QB of the Week (last: Oct. 8, 2025)
• Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 6, 2025)
• 2-time Davey O’Brien Award Great 8 List (last: Oct. 6, 2025)
• 4-time SEC Freshman of the Week (last: Dec. 2, 2024)
• 2-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll recipient (2024, 2023)
Career Summary
Iamaleava has played in 29 games and made 25 starts over three seasons at UCLA (2025) and Tennessee (2023-24) … has completed 449-of-702 pass attempts (64.0%) for 4,858 yards and 34 touchdowns with 12 interceptions in his career … has rushed 241 times for 934 yards and 10 touchdowns … totaled 2,930 passing yards and 21 touchdowns on 241-of-379 passing (64.0%) with five interceptions during his time at Tennessee … rushed for 435 yards on 129 attempts with six touchdowns as a Volunteer … career-long completion in 86 yards, occurring in Week 12 of 2024 at Vanderbilt … career-long rush is 52 yards, coming against Penn State in Week 5 of 2025 … career high in passing yards is 314 set Week 1 in 2024 versus UT-Chattanooga … career-high in passing touchdowns is four set twice in Weeks 11 (UTEP) and 12 (at Vanderbilt) in 2024 … has thrown for 250-plus yards in four contests … has one 100-plus-yard rushing performance (128 vs. Penn State, 2025) … has one multi-rushing TD performance (3 vs. Penn State, 2025) … has totaled six 50-plus-yard completions.
2025
Played and started in 11 games … completed 208-of-323 passes (64.4%) for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns with seven interceptions … led UCLA in rushing yards (505), carries (112) and rushing touchdowns (4) for an average of 45.9 rushing yards per game … accounted for 17 of UCLA’s 24 touchdowns … led UCLA with 10 20-plus-yard plays (all rushing) … threw for at least 200 yards in four different contests … UCLA’s leading rusher in a team-high five games … steered UCLA to its first victory over an AP top-10 opponent since 2010 in a 42-37 win over No. 7 Penn State, accounting for a career-high-tying five touchdowns (three rushing, two passing), 166 passing yards and 128 rushing yards (Oct. 4) … rushed for a career-high 128 yards on 16 carries against the Nittany Lions, which were the most by a Bruin QB since Brett Hundley in 2014 … his three rushing touchdowns against Penn State tied a UCLA QB single-game record that was last accomplished by Rick Bashore in 1978 (Gary Beban and John Sciarra also accomplished the feat) … had a career-long 52-yard rush against Penn State … completed 17-of-24 passes for 166 yards with two touchdowns in the Penn State win … the performance earned him national weekly honors from the Associated Press, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Davey O’Brien Award and Manning Award as well as Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week … the next game, completed 16-of-24 passes for 180 yards and a season-high three passing touchdowns in a 38-13 win at Michigan State (Oct. 11) … steered two scoring drives and completed 9-of-15 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter to lead UCLA to a 20-17 win over Maryland on Homecoming (Oct. 18) … finished the Maryland contest completing 21-of-35 passes for 221 yards and one touchdown … completed 17-of-25 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 15 times for 86 yards against Nebraska (Nov. 8) … reached 200 yards passing for the third time this season in the season finale at USC, completing 27-of-38 attempts for one touchdown (Nov. 29) … threw for a season-high 255 yards on 29-for-41 passing with a touchdown at UNLV (Sept. 6)
2024 (Tennessee)
Started all 13 games and led Tennessee to a College Football Playoff appearance with a 10-3 record as a redshirt freshman … was the first Tennessee freshman to lead the program to 10 regular season wins … was the first Tennessee quarterback to win 10 games as the starter since Casey Clausen in 2003 … finalist for Polynesian Player of the Year … named SEC Freshman of the Week four times … completed 213-of-334 passes for 2,616 yards and nine touchdowns with five interceptions … rushed for 364 yards and three scores on 109 attempts … ranked second in the SEC with six 50-plus-yard completions, which also tied for 10th nationally … accounted for 151 yards of total offense and two rushing touchdowns in the CFP First Round at eventual national champion Ohio State (Jan. 21) … posted five games with multiple passing touchdowns … completed 18-of-26 passes for 257 yards and four touchdowns, including a career-long 86-yard completion, in a win at Vanderbilt, earning him a spot on the Davey O’Brien Award Great 8 List for Week 14 (Nov. 30) … posted back-to-back games with four touchdowns versus UTEP (Nov. 23) and at Vanderbilt … completed 17-of-23 passes (73.9%) for 209 yards while rushing for 36 yards against UTEP … completed 20-of-33 passes for 167 yards at Georgia (Nov. 16) … was 8-of-13 passing for 174 yards and two touchdowns in the first half of a win over Mississippi State before missing the second half with an injury (Nov. 9) … posted his highest SEC completion percentage (73.7%) versus Kentucky while setting career highs in completions (28) and pass attempts (38) with 292 yards and one touchdown (Nov. 2) … completed 14-of-27 passes with 194 yards and threw the game-winning 16-yard touchdown with 5:52 left in the fourth quarter to beat Alabama (Oct. 19) … went 16-of-26 passing for 169 yards in a win over Florida (Oct. 12) … in his first career SEC start, completed 13-of-21 passes for 194 yards, including a 66-yard TD completion, to beat Oklahoma on the road (Sept. 21) … was 10-of-16 passing for 173 yards and a 53-yard touchdown in two quarters of action versus Kent State (Sept. 14) … passed for 211 yards and two touchdowns while adding a career-high 65 rushing yards and score on the ground in a win over N.C. State, earning him Manning Award QB of the Week (Sept. 7) … in his first home start, completed 22-of-28 passes for a career-high 314 yards and three touchdowns in the first half of a win versus UT-Chattanooga (Aug. 31) … his 314 yards versus UT-Chattanooga broke the program record for passing yards in a half and marked the fourth total 300-yard performance in a half by a Tennessee QB … earned a spot on the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
2023 (Tennessee)
Played in five games and made his first career start versus Iowa in the Citrus Bowl (Jan. 1) … served as Tennessee’s backup quarterback for the regular season and earned a redshirt … finished the year completing 28-of-45 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns with now interceptions … added 71 rushing yards on 20 carries with three scores … thrusted into his first career start for the 2024 Citrus Bowl versus Iowa, leading Tennessee to a 35-0 shutout victory in which he was named MVP … accounted for 178 yards of total offense and four touchdowns against Iowa’s defense … completed 12-of-19 passes for 151 yards and one touchdown while rushing 15 times for 27 yards and three scores on the ground … tied a Tennessee bowl game record with three rushing touchdowns … saw his most extensive action of the regular season versus Vanderbilt, completing 9-of-12 passes for 66 yards in a victory (Nov. 25) … orchestrated two productive drives in a win versus UConn, including an eight-play, 78-yard TD drive in the third quarter that ended in the first touchdown pass of his career (Nov. 4) … finished the game 5-of-9 passing for 86 yards and also had a 25-yard scamper in the win over UConn … completed 2-of-3 pass attempts for 11 yards and added an eight-yard rush while leading a scoring drive in his collegiate debut versus Virginia (Sept. 2) … earned a spot on the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
High School
Graduated from Warren High School (Downey, Calif.) where he spent his sophomore, junior and senior seasons … also prepped at Long Beach Poly High School (Long Beach, Calif.) as a freshman and spring of his junior year … ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the Class of 2023 by On3 … five-star prospect according to 247Sports and Rivals … four-star prospect according to ESPN … tabbed the No. 2 overall recruit in the nation by Rivals and 247Sports … ranked No. 23 overall in the ESPN300 … named the 2022 Polynesian High School Player of the Year and selected as the Offensive MVP of the Polynesian Bowl … named to the All-CIF DII team in 2021 and 2022 … as a senior in 2022, led Warren High School to a 9-2 record and CIF-Southern Section Division II playoff appearance with 1,986 passing yards and 25 touchdowns on 119-of-199 passing … also rushed for 399 yards and six scores on 46 carries … as a junior in 2021, led Warren to an 8-1 record and a CIF-SS DII playoff appearance with 2,244 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and one interception on 162-of-272 passing … rushed for three touchdowns and 158 yards … coached by Kevin Pearson at Warren … also an elite volleyball player … played one match at Long Beach Poly as a freshman before the COVID-19 shutdown.
Personal
Born Nicholaus Iamaleava Jr. in Long Beach, Calif. … is of Samoan descent … parents are Marleinna and Nicholaus Iamaleava … has seven siblings … brothers are Matt and Madden … sisters are Nicaylah, McKennah, Ninalei, Mallory and Nori … shares the UCLA QB room with Madden … sister, Nicaylah, played volleyball at Cypress College … older brother, Matt, played volleyball at Long Beach State … sociology major … last name is pronounced ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va.
Iamaleava’s Career Passing Statistics (2023-24 at Tennessee)
| Season | GP-GS | CMP-ATT | INT | YDS | TD | % | AVG/P | AVG/G | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5-1 | 28-45 | 0 | 314 | 2 | 62.2 | 11.2 | 62.8 | 28 |
| 2024 | 13-13 | 213-334 | 5 | 2616 | 19 | 63.8 | 12.3 | 201.2 | 86 |
| 2025 | 11-11 | 208-323 | 7 | 1928 | 13 | 64.4 | 9.3 | 175.3 | 45 |
| Totals | 29-25 | 449-702 | 12 | 4858 | 34 | 64.0 | 10.6 | 173.5 | 86 |
Iamaleava’s Career Rushing Statistics (2023-24 at Tennessee)
| Season | GP-GS | ATT | YDS | TD | LONG | YPC | YPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5-1 | 20 | 71 | 3 | 25 | 3.6 | 14.2 |
| 2024 | 13-13 | 109 | 364 | 3 | 31 | 3.3 | 28.0 |
| 2025 | 11-11 | 112 | 505 | 4 | 52 | 4.5 | 45.9 |
| Totals | 29-25 | 241 | 934 | 10 | 52 | 3.9 | 32.2 |
Bruin Insider Show - Bob Chesney (Dec. 10, 2025)
Wednesday, December 10
Cinematic Recap - UCLA Introduces Head Coach Bob Chesney (Dec. 9, 2025)
Tuesday, December 09
Bob Chesney Introductory Press Conference (Dec. 9, 2025)
Tuesday, December 09
UCLA Football Postgame - Coach Skipper vs. USC (Nov. 29, 2025)
Saturday, November 29
