When DeShaun Foster’s tenure ended abruptly at UCLA following a 0-3 start to the 2025 campaign, the biggest question was Nico Iamaleava’s potential transfer. The Bruins’ quarterback had every right to explore other options.
The portal window was open, and yet when the 30-day transfer window slammed shut, UCLA reporter Ira Gorawara reported that not a single UCLA player had departed the program. Most notably, Iamaleava remained committed to his teammates and coaches.
“Zero UCLA transfers as the 30-day portal window closed following DeShaun Foster’s firing. This comes with three fill-in coaches at the helm: Tim Skipper, Jerry Neuheisel and Kevin Coyle”, Gorawara reported via X
Zero UCLA transfers as the 30-day portal window closed following DeShaun Foster’s firing. This comes with three fill-in coaches at the helm: Tim Skipper, Jerry Neuheisel and Kevin Coyle.
— Ira Gorawara (@IraGorawara) October 15, 2025
This comes after the UCLA Bruins defeated Michigan State Spartans 13-38, and are at a tally of 2-4 after being 0-3 under former head coach DeShaun Foster. However, under interim coach Tim Skipper and Offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel, it’s safe to say the Bruins look different and a revitalized side.
This new earned success can be largely attributed to the promotion of Jerry Neuheisel as the offensive coordinator. The introduction of Neuheisel established a fundamental change in terms of how UCLA’s offense would operate moving forward.
While speaking about new OC Jerry Neuheisel, Iamaleava had this to say:
“I knew Coach Jerry going back to my senior year when UCLA was recruiting me. He puts that belief in us that we can go out and execute. He put a great game plan together for us to go out and execute”, Iamaleava explained.
Neuheisel, who knew Iamaleava dating back to his recruitment period, immediately established a system built on player empowerment and strategic execution which has clearly paid dividends both for the Bruins and Iamaleava.
Iamaleava Wins Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Honors
In October, Iamaleava recorded one of his best games as a college player in a game against Penn State, scoring five rushing touchdowns and accumulating 294 yards of total offensive yards, a new single-game rushing record since 2014 and was announced as Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.
A week later, UCLA had a high-profile game against Michigan State. The Bruins obviously dominated this game, taking down the Spartans 38-13. During that game, Iamaleava completed 16 of 24 passes for 180 yards and three touchdown passes.
Through 6 games for UCLA, Iamaleava completed 114 of the 172 passes thrown for 1,134 yards on nine touchdowns. He rushed for an additional 335 yards and four touchdowns by carrying the ball 66 times. His completion percentage is 66.3% with a QB rating of 135.4
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