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Some of our USC Behind Enemy Lines questions for UCLA Wire editor Dylan McNeill were easier to answer than others. Perhaps the easiest question for McNeill to answer: Who is UCLA's most important returning starter under new coach Bob Chesney? There could be only one answer: Nico Iamaleava.
"If we’re talking pure importance, then we got to go with the man Nico Iamaleava himself," McNeill told us. "2025 surely felt like a rollercoaster for Iamaleava, as he wound up playing for a truly lousy UCLA team that fired his head coach after just three games into the season. Even on the struggling Bruins, Iamaleava’s talent flashed at different moments. Iamaleava was as dynamic as ever with his legs, and still possesses big-time arm talent. Can Bob Chesney and new offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy dial in Iamaleava and highlight his strong suits? Time will tell but Iamaleava will have a lot more talent around him this year, than he did in 2025."
The instructive point McNeill gets to in his commentary is that Iamaleava played for a lousy team and needs a lot more help to be successful. Just how much help he has on the 2026 UCLA football roster remains to be seen, but most observers would agree UCLA definitely has better talent than in 2025. Will the increase in talent level be enough to lift the Bruins to a bowl game? That's what we are all waiting to find out.
Contact/Follow @TrojansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of USC Trojans news, notes and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Behind Enemy Lines: Will Nico Iamaleava get more help at UCLA in 2026?
Continue reading...
"If we’re talking pure importance, then we got to go with the man Nico Iamaleava himself," McNeill told us. "2025 surely felt like a rollercoaster for Iamaleava, as he wound up playing for a truly lousy UCLA team that fired his head coach after just three games into the season. Even on the struggling Bruins, Iamaleava’s talent flashed at different moments. Iamaleava was as dynamic as ever with his legs, and still possesses big-time arm talent. Can Bob Chesney and new offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy dial in Iamaleava and highlight his strong suits? Time will tell but Iamaleava will have a lot more talent around him this year, than he did in 2025."
The instructive point McNeill gets to in his commentary is that Iamaleava played for a lousy team and needs a lot more help to be successful. Just how much help he has on the 2026 UCLA football roster remains to be seen, but most observers would agree UCLA definitely has better talent than in 2025. Will the increase in talent level be enough to lift the Bruins to a bowl game? That's what we are all waiting to find out.
Contact/Follow @TrojansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of USC Trojans news, notes and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Behind Enemy Lines: Will Nico Iamaleava get more help at UCLA in 2026?
Continue reading...
