The addition of Nico Iamaleava has made it much easier for DeShaun Foster and UCLA football to bring in transfers.

Nico Iamaleava’s transfer from the Tennessee Volunteers to UCLA Bruins didn’t just give the Bruins a much-needed quarterback; it also provided a significant boost to the program. The 20-year-old signal-caller’s arrival fundamentally shifted UCLA’s recruiting momentum and even the financial dynamics of how players are committing to Westwood.

UCLA bringing in Iamaleava, and the situation with transfer wideout Kaedin Robinson — who made public record his $500,000 NIL deal in an effort to successfully sue the NCAA for eligibility this season — signals that the Bruins, who went 3-6 in league play in their first year in the Big Ten, are now in the game.