UCLA Newcomer Recalls First Impression of Nico Iamaleava

UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava has been making a good impression on some of his newer teammates throughout the spring.

Iamaleava is now entering his second season with the Bruins and will look to improve after an underwhelming 2025 campaign. Iamaleava threw for 1,928 yards, with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his first season with the team after transferring over from Tennessee.

Now in 2026, the Bruins as a team have undergone a major change despite the starting quarterback being the same. The team fired head coach DeShaun Foster in the middle of the season and immediately began searching for his replacement. By December, they landed on former James Madison head coach Bob Chesney.

Chesney with JMU

Chesney was highly successful during his tenure with the Dukes, going 21-6 over his two seasons, the latter of which saw JMU go 12-2, win the Sun Belt title, and get into the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, where they would fall to Oregon in the first round.

With Chesney coming in, the Bruins have also brought in plenty of talent by way of the transfer portal - many of whom have followed Chesney from JMU to UCLA. One of those standout talents that is coming from JMU is wide receiver Landon Ellis.

Ellis' Resume

After spending the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Richmond, Ellis was very productive for the Dukes in 2025, hauling in 36 receptions for a career-high 624 yards and five touchdowns. Now, he is looking to create some chemistry with the Bruins' starting quarterback.

Ellis recalled his first impression of Iamaleava when asked about it at a spring practice session.

Ellis' Thoughts

"His locker is actually right next to mine, so l talk to him all the time," Ellis said. "He's a great guy. I met him on my visit. We sat down and ate dinner. He sat right next to me and I got to learn about him a little bit. It's been a joy to get to know him and his brother. They're really good people."

The pair of new teammates will look to make some noise for a UCLA team that's also looking to prove its worth in the Big Ten. After two disappointing seasons since moving from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten, UCLA will try to get back on track with a revamped roster and some continuity under center in 2026.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as UCLA Newcomer Recalls First Impression of Nico Iamaleava.

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This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 7:30 AM.