Nico Iamaleava suddenly became one of the most polarizing players in the world of college football. It all came after his decision to enter the transfer portal hit the news after he was seen missing a few spring practice sessions in Tennessee.
The ex-Vols star then joined the UCLA Bruins for his third year and played his first game against the Utah Utes on Saturday.
The matchup didn’t end the way Iamaleava would’ve hopes as the Bruins faced a disappointing 43-10 loss, drawing flak from many fans:
“The hate watch was amazing. Shoutout to his dad for ruining his career,” one fan commented.
“Nico transferred out of Tennessee, gave up millions in NIL, and now plays for a horrible UCLA team. His career is toast. He can kiss the NFL goodbye. What was he thinking?” another fan added.
“Man they whipped out the dough for him too! Hopefully it’ll get better but they not beating my Rebels next Saturday! Hell nah, to the nah nah nahhhhh,” another fan took a shot at Iamaleava.
“His Dad fu*ked him completely over! He could’ve probably got drafted out of Tennessee now look at this sh*t,” another fan expressed their frustration.
“ROCKY TOP YOULL ALWAYS BE HOME SWEET HOME TO ME! I can’t believe we actually got UCLA to give us the better QB in this trade for less money!” another fan added.
“This loss is on the coaches and the athletic director. Nico gets a few more games before the blame hits him too,” another fan mentioned.
Nico Iamaleava today:
11/22
136 Passing Yards
Sacked 4 times
1 Touchdown
1 InterceptionLost 43-10 pic.twitter.com/wM1oCKWX0c
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) August 31, 2025
Iamaleava’s debut ended with 11 of 22 passes for 136 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and also had 47 rushing yards.
Nico Iamaleava’s Statement After Blowout Loss Against Utah
Nico Iamaleava’s first game as Bruin wasn’t ideal but he is hopeful about the rest of the season and believes they can make a comeback from this.
The ex-Tennessee quarterback said during a post game interview that it was the first game and they got punched in the mouth, however, the guys in the locker room are still together and will now have to do better.
He further added that the only way now is going up from here. Talking about instances where the Bruins saw some missed opportunities, Iamaleava said:
“I think the first drive, second drive, and third drive…we had plenty of opportunities to put the ball in the end zone. I think we put it in the fourth drive, but those first three drives are critical. Our defense was playing hard, and we went down early, so we need to pick our defense up and respond well as a unit.”
UCLA will now face UNLV on Sept. 6 for a Week 2 matchup.
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