Quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s transfer from Tennessee to UCLA was one of the offseason’s biggest stories. Despite the drama, Iamaleava is expected to have a good year during his first Big Ten season — college football analyst Andy Staples ranked him No. 4 among conference QBs last week.
But Iamaleava’s talent might not be enough for the Bruins.
Cleveland.com released their 15th-straight Preseason Big Ten Football Rankings Monday, based on results polled from 24 voters. UCLA was projected to finish the season at No. 15 among the 18 Big Ten programs.
Ahead of the Bruins are Michigan State and Rutgers, tied at No. 13, while Maryland is ranked below UCLA at No. 16. It’s a slight drop for the Bruins, who finished No. 14 in the conference last season with a 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten) record.
“UCLA and Washington had the widest range of votes this year,” reporter Stephen Means wrote. “The Bruice earned votes from ninth-place to 17th-place, while the Huskies earned votes from sixth-place to 14th place.”
UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster had a busy offseason. The program is currently rumored to be pursuing former Fresno State interim head coach Tim Skipper for a senior advisory role on the Bruins’ coaching staff. Foster continues to add to the Bruins’ 2026 recruiting class, ranked No. 21 nationally by ESPN.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
This season, Foster will rely heavily on Iamaleava as the Bruins add a 2025 recruiting class ranked No. 48 nationally, per On3. Among that class are quarterback Madden Iamaleava, Nico’s younger brother, and wide receiver Jace Brown, who both swapped their commitments from Arkansas to UCLA shortly after Iamaleava left Tennessee.