CBS Sports ranks Nico Iamaleava as the No. 38 Power Four quarterback

Nico Iamaleava’s first year with the UCLA Bruins was certainly a whirlwind. There were moments of greatness from Iamaleava, and some moments that the young quarterback would want back. Ultimately it was a tough season for the signal caller, as he saw UCLA go just 3-9 on the season.

Now Iamaleava has new head coach Bob Chesney and offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy to rely on, as Iamaleava and the Bruins look to be more competitive during the 2026 season. Iamaleava entered the college football landscape with huge expectations, and while the talent is there, he hasn’t displayed it on a down-to-down basis.

Iamaleava could head to the NFL Draft following this upcoming season with UCLA, meaning there’s a lot on the line for the 6’6” quarterback. With his physical traits, a solid season of production would certainly garner him some interest at the NFL level.

Brad Crawford of CBS Sports ranked every Power Conference starting quarterback, with Iamaleava falling down the board all the way to No. 38 in Crawford’s list. Among Big Ten quarterbacks, Crawford had Iamaleava ranked as the 12th best.

“Iamaleava was the center of unwanted attention last offseason after his messy exit from Tennessee,” Crawford wrote of Iamaleava. “The game plan this spring and summer is is to get back to national notoriety for the right reasons under new Bruins coach Bob Chesney. Iamaleava has obvious talent after previously helping the Vols get to the CFP as a freshman, but he tumbled a few pegs last season after finishing with 13 touchdown passes after he was sacked 27 times and missed a bowl game.”

UCLA’s offensive infrastructure wasn’t dependable for Iamaleava last season, we’ll see if a more consistent offense around him can yield better results for Iamaleava and the Bruins offense.

This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA's ranked as the No. 38 Power Conference starting quarterback