Gorney: UCLA will emerge from Nico Iamaleava drama as the large winner

[ad_1] Gorney: UCLA will emerge from Nico Iamaleava drama as the large winner

DeShaun Foster (Picture by AP Photographs) With former five-star QB Nico Iamaleava's switch from Tennessee to UCLA now full, it seems the Bruins have joined in on turning into a goal of misplaced ridicule.

This week famend Los Angeles Instances columnist Invoice Plaschke known as the Bruins beggars and wrote that the entire thing stinks to Rocky High. The thought posited by Plaschke that in some way each UCLA and Iamaleava misplaced on this state of affairs is past absurd.

Assume what you need about Iamaleava's well-publicized departure from Tennessee – and I wholeheartedly imagine there are two sides to it and the Vols are escaping this mess remarkably cleaner than they need to – however no matter you assume, do not criticize the Bruins.

Belief me, UCLA will emerge from this drama because the winner.

Nico Iamaleava (Picture by © Steve Roberts-Imagn Photographs) Transferring as a quarterback isn’t a assured catastrophe. If something, it may very well be the other.

4 of the six first-round NFL Draft picks in 2024 – Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix and Bo Nix – have been transfers. Daniels, Penix and Nix have been mainly useless within the water at their previous faculties (Arizona State, Indiana and Auburn, respectively) earlier than discovering stardom, a Heisman Trophy and hundreds of thousands of {dollars} at their second stops.

The final three Heisman Trophy winners – Travis Hunter, Daniels and Williams – have been all transfers. Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow, three former Heisman winners and No. 1 general picks, have been going nowhere at Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Ohio State, respectively, earlier than transferring to Oklahoma, Oklahoma and LSU and placing collectively among the greatest careers school soccer has ever seen.

Why would not UCLA see if Iamaleava might create an identical path?

In UCLA coach DeShaun Foster’s first season, the Bruins rushed for 4 touchdowns – all 12 months! – and quarterback Ethan Garbers threw 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Garbers was a switch from Washington.

How, once more, are the Bruins not higher with world-class expertise and former five-star Iamaleava operating the present now?

In 2023 as then-coach Chip Kelly was placing collectively his resume looking for a greater job – he left UCLA after begging the administration to maintain him, solely to turn out to be Ohio State’s offensive coordinator – he threw five-star freshman Dante Moore to the wolves earlier than changing him with Garbers.

And guess what? Moore transferred.

Identical to Iamaleava did.

Days after Iamaleava's announcement, his four-star QB brother, Madden, left Arkansas to affix him in Westwood.

DeShaun Foster (Picture by AP Photographs) The Bruins went 5-7 final season and didn’t win a single recreation by double digits. They've 4 commitments within the 2026 class now, all receivers, and so they’re over-the-top enthusiastic about taking part in with Iamaleava, who grew up down the 405 freeway.

“Getting Nico is nice for us broad receivers however getting him and his little brother is even higher,” four-star commit Jaron Pula stated. “You couldn’t ask for extra. That was most likely one among our largest worries for me and Kennan (Pula) was, who's gonna be our quarterback? However I suppose we don’t have to fret anymore. Nico alone is nice. He has a cannon and he has expertise taking part in within the high convention.”

4-star commit Jonah Smith stated: “Thrilling is the phrase I'd use. I’m desperate to stand up there and see a follow however for certain can’t anticipate the autumn.”