Kirby Smart-level toughness has become the expectation at the UCLA football team, too, and Nico Iamaleava has been at the center of that conversation all month. After missing the Ohio State blowout while in concussion protocol, the Bruins’ quarterback was labeled “day to day” by interim coach Tim Skipper, who kept the door open for a return against Washington.
That optimism came after an uneven but intriguing first season in Los Angeles, one that started with turnovers and a coaching change but also included a midyear surge where Iamaleava briefly looked like the star UCLA football team hoped it was getting from Tennessee.
Now, with the Bruins slogging through a 3-7 campaign, the focus has shifted from his development curve to a more basic question: how healthy is he really?
That question only grew louder during Saturday night’s 48-14 loss to Washington at the Rose Bowl. In the third quarter, with UCLA trailing 27-0, Iamaleava was sacked by Bryce Butler for a 15-yard loss at the Bruins’ 25-yard line, stayed down on his back, then walked to the sideline and straight into the blue medical tent before heading to the locker room, per ESPN.
Just a week earlier, he had sat out the Ohio State game while in concussion protocol after initially being hurt against Nebraska on Nov. 8. Asked afterward whether the sophomore had suffered another concussion, Skipper admitted the staff did not yet have clear answers, saying they were “not completely sure” and would need further evaluation.
Before exiting, Iamaleava went 16-of-26 for 69 yards and added 16 rushing yards on five carries, with Luke Duncan finishing the night in relief.
The uncertainty stands in stark contrast to Iamaleava’s breakout against Penn State earlier in the season.
In that upset, he completed 17 of 24 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 16 times for 128 yards and three more scores, making Iamaleava to become the first UCLA quarterback since 2000 to post at least 120 rushing yards and three rushing TDs in a game, per StatMuse. That dual-threat explosion briefly reset expectations for what the Bruins’ offense could be under Skipper.
Instead, UCLA is back to holding its breath over its most important player. With Duncan already having started once at Ohio State and now finishing another blowout, the Bruins might again be forced to prioritize Iamaleava’s long-term health over any short-term spark.
Until clarity arrives, the program’s late-season story is less about scheme and more about whether its quarterback can safely get back on the field.
