Nico Iamaleava makes ‘Freaks List’ with two jaw-dropping traits that won’t surprise Tennessee Vols fans one bit
The former Tennessee QB has rare athleticism for the position.
Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava had a first season after leaving Knoxville that was largely forgettable. The UCLA Bruins staggered to a 3-9 mark that included a winless non-conference slate against UNLV and New Mexico, among others.
However, Iamaleava led arguably one of the most shocking results of the season. He ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns and passed for two more as the Bruins stunned Penn State 42-37 in the Rose Bowl.
That was really a national coming out party for Iamaleava’s ability to change a game with his legs, and his running ability got some more juice earlier this month. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman put out his annual “Freaks List” this week, and Iamaleava checked in at No. 67.
Former Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava makes Bruce Feldman’s ‘Freaks List’ (No. 67)
“The 6-5, 215-pound senior was the Bruins’ leading rusher in 2025, with 505 yards on 112 carries and four TDs,” Feldman wrote. “He also led UCLA with 10 runs of 20-plus yards in addition to completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,928 yards and 13 TDs with seven picks. The former five-star recruit has tantalizing athleticism that showed up in a big way when he led the Bruins to their first win over an AP top-10 team in 15 years, accounting for five TDs in a 42-37 upset of then-No. 7 Penn State. The former volleyball standout vertical-jumped 40 inches this offseason and clocked a 1.48 10-yard sprint. His 40-time was 4.57.”
By way of comparison, the 10-yard splits of Mike Matthews and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith are 1.43 and 1.44 seconds, respectively. And a 40-inch vertical is jaw dropping for any player regardless of position.
But, of course — as Tennessee fans know well — running and leaping will only get you so far as a quarterback. Iamaleava was able to make plays in 2024 for Tennessee and make some plays with his legs (358 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns). That was not the problem for him at Tennessee. It was the hesitation in key moments and some misfires in the passing game that kept the Vols’ offense from reaching its full potential.
We’ll see this fall if Iamaleava — who will get to work with former Saints and Raiders quarterback Derek Carr as his new QB coach at UCLA — can take that step in his development as a passer. Because without a doubt, the athleticism Iamaleava possesses for the position is truly elite.
