The Nico Iamaleava era is off to a worrisome start for UCLA, and its Week 2 competition is rubbing it in.
“Honestly, nothing really sticks out to me about him [on tape],” UNLV Rebels defensive back Aamaris Brown said about Iamaleava on Monday. “You know, in the past there’s been talk about ‘five-star this, five-star that.’ I have been around plenty of five-star and four-star [players], it don’t scare me. I have played competition higher than them, including Alabama and all that. …
“Going against a guy like Nico, there’s no surprise, no excitement or nothing like that.”
Last week, UCLA was drubbed at home by former Pac-12 rival Utah, 43-10. In the loss, Iamaleava totaled 136 passing yards, 47 rushing yards, one passing touchdown, one interception and a 107.8 passer rating, while completing 50.0% of his passes. The Rebels host Iamaleava and the Bruins on Saturday night.
Iamaleava had arguably the most dramatic offseason transfer in the sport, as he left Tennessee following a 10-3 season that saw it reach the College Football Playoff for UCLA. The move came after Iamaleava reportedly sought a higher NIL salary, with UCLA’s campus also being roughly an hour north of Long Beach, CA, the quarterback’s hometown.
In what was his first season as a full-time starter, Iamaleava, the No. 2 quarterback recruit in the Class of 2023, totaled 2,616 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, five interceptions and a 145.3 passer rating, while completing 63.8% of his passes. He also rushed for 358 yards and three touchdowns.
As for the one who’s critical of the young signal-caller, Brown – a sixth-year senior – is in his first season at UNLV, which is his third collegiate team. After spending the first two seasons of his career at Kansas State (2020-21), Brown transferred to South Florida, where he played for the next three seasons (2022-24). He totaled two interceptions in both 2022 and 2023 before an injury-plagued 2024 season.
The Rebels are off to a 2-0 start this season, with a home victory over Idaho State (38-31) and a road victory over Sam Houston (38-21). Brown has shined thus far, totaling 12 combined tackles, three tackles for loss and two interceptions, running back one of them for a touchdown.
UNLV is coming off an 11-3 season but is in its first season with former Florida and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen at the helm. Meanwhile, UCLA is in its second season with DeShaun Foster as head coach, with the program going 5-7 in 2024.
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