Sep 27, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) passes the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Nico Iamaleava QB UCLA |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #9 PLAY STYLE: Dual Threat QB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.75 seconds (67%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.11 DOB: 09/02/2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #9 | |
| PLAY STYLE: Dual Threat QB | |
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.75 seconds (67%*) | |
| Age: 21.11 DOB: 09/02/2004 | |
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| Overall Rating: |
84.2 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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82% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Release Speed: |
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82% |
| Short Passing: |
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70% |
| Medium Passing: |
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78% |
| Long Passing: |
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75% |
| Rush/Scramble: |
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71% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
3rd
Overall Rank:
#96
Position rank:
#9 (QB)
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| College Games: 29 College Snaps: 1647 | ||
ESPN RATING: 89/100
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247 RATING: 100/100
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RIVALS RATING: 6.1 (100%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Will Levis - Kentucky |
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82% |
| Drew Allar - Penn State |
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80% |
| Tanner McKee - Stanford |
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76% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Once the nation's top-ranked recruit, Nico Iamaleava starred at Warren High School in Long Beach, passing for 1,726 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior and earning Polynesian High School Player of the Year honors. At Tennessee he beat Iowa in the Citrus Bowl after a redshirt year, then threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2024 while guiding the Volunteers to their first College Football Playoff appearance.A standoff over NIL compensation ended his Tennessee tenure during spring practice 2025, and Iamaleava transferred to UCLA, joined by his brother Madden from Arkansas. The Bruins opened the year winless, fired head coach DeShaun Foster, and turned to interim Tim Skipper.
Iamaleava passed for 1,928 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions over 11 games and led UCLA in rushing with 505 yards during a 3-9 season. The signature performance came in a 42-37 upset of No. 7 Penn State, when he produced five total touchdowns, two passing and three rushing, ran for 128 yards, and tied a single-game rushing touchdown record for a UCLA quarterback. The next week he threw three scoring passes at Michigan State. In December, Iamaleava announced he would stay at UCLA for 2026 under new head coach Bob Chesney.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Rare size at 6-6 with the arm to drive every throw with easy velocity
- Snap release that pairs with RPO concepts; lets it go the instant he sees it
- Exceptional mobility for the frame, with 49 scrambles and play-extension juice
- Sees over the pocket from 6-6 and rarely has throws batted at the line
- Held up against pressure-heavy Penn State, two scores without a turnover
- Flashes the middle-of-field velocity that made him a five-star recruit
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Production cratered in 2025, under 2,000 yards on a 3-9 UCLA team
- Sits in the pocket and absorbs sacks, 28 in eleven games, instead of moving on
- Inconsistent downfield accuracy and feel for pressure; the big-time throws dried up
- Reads the field with his eyes rather than true full-field progressions, still raw
Scouting Report: Summary
Iamaleava was one of the most-hyped quarterback recruits in recent memory, a five-star who led Tennessee to a Playoff berth in 2024 before a high-profile transfer to UCLA. The 2025 season went sideways: the Bruins collapsed to 3-9, the head coach was fired by late September, and his passing production cratered to under 2,000 yards with 13 touchdowns against seven interceptions. The tools remain rare, a 6-6 frame, easy velocity, a quick release that fits RPO concepts, and exceptional mobility that produced 49 scrambles.When the picture is clean, the talent flashes. He carries throws over the middle with effortless arm strength, sees over the pocket without adjusting his platform, and held up in a pressure-heavy game against Penn State with two scores and no turnovers. He extends plays and stresses defenses both vertically and on the move, and at his size that combination is the reason scouts keep watching.
The problems are production and processing. He holds the ball far too long, 28 sacks in eleven games, his downfield accuracy and feel for pressure are inconsistent, and the big-time throws that defined his Tennessee tape largely dried up. He still manipulates with his eyes rather than working true full-field progressions, a product of a one-read system more than a ceiling on his ability. His 2026 status is unsettled but he is expected back in college. Overall, this is a traits bet, a toolsy developmental quarterback whose 2026 will determine whether he is a riser or a long-term project, with translating the gifts into production the entire question.
How other scouting services rate Nico Iamaleava (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
129.5
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
25.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.