UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava's 2026 season could serve as a crossroads. The former five-star prospect had an up and down first campaign in Westwood last year, which is understandable considering the coaching staff and players around him. But with a new coaching regime and bolstered roster for 2026, it's possible Iamaleava gets back on track and leaves for the NFL next offseason despite having eligibility to return.
On last week's episode of The Ringer's McShay Show, hosts Steve Muench and Todd McShay (my two favorite draft analysts in the business by the way) discussed the loaded crop of 2027 NFL Draft quarterbacks. McShay asked Muench who he could see having a Joe Burrow or Cam Ward level rise into the first round because of their play in the fall. Muench's first response was Iamaleava:
"I'm going with UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Think about what happened with him since Tennessee got smacked by Ohio State in that playoff game. All of the NIL stuff with him, is he going to play, is he not going to play? Tennessee cuts bait. The whole situation didn't reflect well on him and his team. He then goes to a UCLA program that is basically in shambles and kinda fell apart. The coach gets fired in the middle of the season. So what's the situation now? We're a little bit removed from what happened at Tennessee. Bob Chesney comes in from James Madison and calms everything down. You get an offensive coordinator in Dean Kennedy who I think really importantly works well with mobile quarterbacks, and I'm not sure people realize how well Nico moves. He rushed for 500 yards last year...He has a live arm with a good frame. He's a talented player, and this is now maybe the best situation he's been in in at least the last two years, maybe ever in his career. He can now focus on the game and really highlight his ability. I think he's a prime candidate to sky rocket up NFL Draft boards. It wasn't like this kid wasn't talented coming out of high school. It's just been a mess the past two years."
McShay responded by saying: "I totally agree. He was the first name I wrote down."
The 2027 quarterback class is very deep, so it's not surprising that Iamaleava's name has been lost in the shuffle a bit this offseason. Arch Manning, Dante Moore, CJ Bailey, CJ Carr, Trinidad Chambliss, Julian Sayin, Jayden Maiava, Darian Mensah, Drew Mestemaker, LaNorris Sellers and Sam Leavitt could all be possible quarterback selections in 2027. Next year's quarterback class has the potential to rival the 2024 group that featured Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Bo Nix — it's that good.
Iamaleava still has believers in NFL front offices and in the scouting/analysis space. If he excels in 2026, it's possible he plays his way into a top five pick, which is something UCLA hasn't had since the Baltimore Ravens selected Jonathan Ogden No. 4 overall in 1996.
Let's see what happens.