Anonymous Big Ten coach believes UCLA's 2025 season will be 'hard to understand' for Nico Iamaleava camp

As UCLA heads into the 2025 campaign, it does so with a considerable amount of confidence and enthusiasm. The addition of Tennessee transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava is a huge reason why.

But at least some in the league believe the pairing won’t pan out the way the Bruins hope. Athlon Sports recently spoke with Big Ten coaches anonymously to get their thoughts on each program.

The comments about Nico Iamaleava and UCLA are a bit concerning. Said one coach:

“If Nico [Iamaleava] wasn’t a local kid, I don’t think these two end up together. It’s going be fascinating to watch, and it’s hard to understand if you’re in Nico’s camp. This is a less talented roster than Knoxville, and they’re rebuilding the offensive line with portal guys and a new OL coach and coordinator.”

Iamaleava, of course, is coming off a College Football Playoff appearance with Tennessee. The Volunteers didn’t make it very far, but that’s the kind of experience the young quarterback will be looking to replicate.

Can the Bruins put together that kind of season? Another coach also had some doubts.

“This is a team with a ton of questions, an almost all-new staff and a superstar transfer at QB,” the coach said. “They’re going to steal a lot of attention from USC for a bit, but it’s going to be a huge challenge for a young, unproven head coach to keep this from becoming a circus that falls apart.”

DeShaun Foster went 5-7 in his debut season as the UCLA coach. Could Nico Iamaleava be the difference-maker for him this season? It’s certainly possible.

After all, the former Tennessee quarterback is coming off a season in which he threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns, against just five interceptions. He also ran for 358 yards and three scores.

That said, Tennessee didn’t ask Nico Iamaleava to do too much. UCLA might ask him to do considerably more.

Can the young quarterback handle higher expectations and workload, all while working with a potentially less talented supporting cast. We’ll have to wait to see if those anonymous comments from league coaches play out.