Did UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava reveal NFL draft plans for after 2026 season?

Nico Iamaleava's first season with UCLA football didn't go as planned last season.

Back for his second season with the Bruins, the former Tennessee quarterback aims to rebound and help start the Bob Chesney era off on the right foot. He also alluded to savoring every moment of the upcoming 2026 college football season, even hinting that it may be his last after calling the Bruins’ spring game last weekend his "last spring game."

REQUIRED READING: Nico Iamaleava staying at UCLA, will remain Bruins QB for 2026

"It was fun. My last spring game. I tried to go out there and enjoy it with the guys," Iamaleava said after the game on Saturday, May 3. "It was good to just play what we've been working on these past few months."

While Iamaleava hinted at a possible declaration for the 2027 NFL Draft, the Bruins quarterback is in no rush from an eligibility standpoint. He has two years of eligibility left with the Bruins after redshirting his true freshman season at Tennessee.

Iamaleava — one of the most closely followed players in college football after his abrupt NIL-fueled transfer from Tennessee — had an up‑and‑down 2025 season with the Bruins. He started and played in 11 of UCLA's 12 games, completing 208 of 323 passes for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also finished as the Bruins' leading rusher, with 505 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 112 carries.