If quarterback Nico Iamaleava handles the rest of the season as well as he did with his half hour of Q&A at Big Ten media days, chances are, UCLA will be good — maybe even very good — in 2025.

Nico Iamaleava captured all the headlines earlier in the college football offseason for his controversial exit from Tennessee that landed him at UCLA. Now, the Bruins' new quarterback has spoken up to explain himself. At Big Ten Media Days, Iamaleava minimized the significance that NIL money had in his choice.

Nico Iamaleava’s transfer from the Tennessee Volunteers to UCLA Bruins didn’t just give the Bruins a much-needed quarterback; it also provided a significant boost to the program. The 20-year-old signal-caller’s arrival fundamentally shifted UCLA’s recruiting momentum and even the financial dynamics of how players are committing to Westwood.