Nico Iamaleava
QB at UCLA for 2026, after a chaotic departure from Tennessee. Had a notable three-game mid-season Renaissance in 2025 that the show keeps coming back to as the bull-case foundation.
Show's framing: Nico needed a fresh start, and Bob Chesney's UCLA — with its top-five-or-six-nationally recruiting class as of early May — is at least an interesting context for him to take it. Receiver room is the limiting factor. The combined upside of Chesney + Nico is one of the more interesting watch-list items of the 2026 cycle.
Episode Appearances
- 2026-05-07 May Q&A Part 2
- 2026-05-14 Big Ten Vibe Check - Mays of May - UCLA eight-win path; offensive-line protection is the hinge for turning the fresh start into wins
Running Takes
- 2026-05-07: 2026-05-07 Best New QB OC Pairings 2026
- 2026-05-14: 2026-05-14 UCLA Has an Eight Win Path - Nico gives UCLA upside, but the line has to keep him upright