For the first time since Nico Iamaleava officially joined UCLA, head coach DeShaun Foster spoke to media on Tuesday to weigh in on the blockbuster quarterback transfer that’s helped define his first offseason in charge.
Iamaleava, a former five-star and top-rated portal quarterback, committed to the Bruins last week following a turbulent departure from Tennessee. Now back in his home state of California, Iamaleava’s arrival gives UCLA instant star power — and Foster says the opportunity was too good to pass up.
“Being able to bring in the No. 1 player in the portal, just something we couldn’t pass up,” Foster told reporters.
Foster praised Iamaleava’s physical tools, calling him a “true competitor” and noting his size and presence.
“6’6″, this is a big guy,” Foster said. “A true competitor. Fiery. Big arm.”
Iamaleava is expected to be the frontrunner for the starting job, but he won’t arrive in Los Angeles until completing his academic obligations at Tennessee, according to ESPN’s Chris Low. The same goes for former Appalachian State quarterback Joey Aguilar, who recently left UCLA after Iamaleava committed and landed with the Vols, completing what many have dubbed college football’s first “quarterback trade.” UCLA, which operates on the quarter system, won’t begin final exams until June 9–13.
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Foster emphasized the importance of recruiting and keeping local talent like Iamaleava close to home — a theme he’s pushed since being named head coach.
“Keeping the California kids and L.A. kids here, you know? This is a big thing,” he said.
There’s been plenty of outside noise about Iamaleava’s transfer — from speculation about NIL demands to how his time at Tennessee ended — but Foster made it clear UCLA didn’t rush into the decision without doing its homework.
“You just have to go with your gut and with the people that you trust,” Foster said. “You can’t just read everything on social media and come to a conclusion from that. You have to do a little bit more homework. So I think we did a good job in vetting and figuring out what we wanted to do, and we were able to execute and now we’re here.”
Foster also offered a not-so-subtle reminder about where he sees the Bruins heading.
“You want to be in conversations, you want to play big-time ball, you want to have haters, you want all of this stuff,” he said. “Because that means that you’re trending in the right direction.”