UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, sources tell CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz. Iamaleava exited Saturday's 17-15 win over Oregon after getting tangled up awkwardly between a pair of Ducks defenders. A former five-star recruit, Iamaleava transferred from Tennessee to UCLA prior to the 2025 season, and he stuck with the Bruins after Bob Chesney took charge.
In his second season with the Bruins, Iamaleava provided some stability at the quarterback position, even if his numbers didn't jump off the page. In four-plus games, Iamaleava completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 982 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions while rushing for 144 yards and a score. Looking ahead to the offseason, Iamaleava will have a big decision to make regarding the 2027 NFL Draft.
Iamaleava has the tools to be an early-round selection, but he may have to spend one more season at the college level to prove his health and boost his draft stock. When Iamaleava left the game against Oregon, backup Ty Dieffenbach entered and managed the offense well enough to get the win. The senior completed three of his six passing attempts for 43 yards and a touchdown.
No. 12 UCLA's first test without Iamaleava will be a home contest against 4-1 Wisconsin on Saturday night. While Dieffenback replaced Iamaleava against Oregon, that doesn't mean the starting role is his for the rest of the season. In his postgame press conference, Chesney admitted it will be a "week-to-week" situation and that Dieffernack's mobility earned him the nod as the primary back against Oregon.
"We're really on a week-to-week basis here," Chesney told 247Sports. "This week, we felt like we had to run a little bit more with the quarterback, possibly. And that's where I thought Ty had a really nice week.
And that put us in that spot. It's just one of those things. I'm sure if Madden had gone in there, he would have done a phenomenal job as well.
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