Former Vols QB Nico Iamaleava is doing something in the final week of the regular season that he won’t get enough credit for
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferred from Tennessee to UCLA earlier this year.
UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a former Tennessee Vols quarterback who left Rocky Top for SoCal earlier this year, is doing something this week that he won’t get nearly enough credit for.
Most of the national attention on Iamaleava this season has centered around his unexpected breakup with Tennessee in April.
But the exit from Tennessee, which has been well documented from a number of angles, is ultimately just one entry in Iamaleava’s still unfolding story.
Nico Iamaleava expected to play in the regular season-finale against USC
It hasn’t been an easy season for Iamaleava. UCLA fired head coach Deshaun Foster after an 0-3 start. A week later, the Bruins fired offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri.
Following the coaching changes, Iamaleava led UCLA to big wins against Penn State, Michigan State, and Maryland. But otherwise, this season has been a battle for the former Vol — specifically when it comes to health.
Iamaleava has been banged up throughout the season as he’s often put his body on the line to help his team.
“I thought number nine was fantastic and just an absolute warrior,” said Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule of Iamaleava earlier this month after a win over the Bruins. “That first drive, we hit him so many times, I didn’t know how long he could do that. And he just did it all night. I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”
Iamaleava was forced to miss UCLA’s game against Ohio State two weeks ago due to a concussion that he suffered in the loss to Nebraska.
The California native returned for UCLA’s game against Washington last weekend, but he left the game early due to neck spams. Iamaleava’s status for this weekend’s game against USC has been in doubt due to the neck spasms. The spasms were bad enough that Iamaleava was only able to throw one pass in front of reporters on Wednesday (after throwing no passes on Tuesday).
Despite being nowhere close to 100 percent, Iamaleava is expected to play on Saturday against the Trojans, barring a last minute setback, according to the Los Angeles Times.
When UCLA fired Foster, there was immediately speculation that Iamaleava would enter the transfer portal. But he didn’t. In fact, he rallied the Bruins’ locker room following the coaching change.
UCLA isn’t a factor in the College Football Playoff, and the program isn’t going to reach a bowl game. Iamaleava could’ve easily shut it down so he can get healthy before making any decisions about his future plans. But he’s continuing to compete — even though it would have been more than understandable if sat out the last few games of the season.
The redshirt sophomore deserves a lot of credit for the way he’s continuing to lay it all on the line for his teammates — especially after the verbal beating he took from folks in the national media.
Things didn’t work out between Tennessee and Iamaleava. It happens in sports….a lot. But that shouldn’t define a player. It’s just part of college football now. It happens often with players and coaches — just take a look at the saga unfolding with Lane Kiffin in Oxford over the last few weeks.
Iamaleava’s reputation should be about his toughness and competitiveness — not that he was one of more than 1,000 players to enter the transfer portal during the spring window.
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