UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava didn’t want to enter the transfer portal, even after a tumultuous season that saw the program fire its head coach after an 0-3 start and fall short of a bowl game despite a midseason semi-revival.
After one conversation with then-recently hired Bruins coach Bob Chesney, Iamaleava was sold on wearing the Blue and Gold for another season.
“It was a no-brainer,” Iamaleava told reporters after practice Saturday. “Coach Chesney is a winner.”
Saturday’s practice was the fifth of UCLA’s spring practice schedule, featuring fully padded, live reps and a lot of energy at Spaulding Field. After successful offensive plays, or defense stops, the respective winning units would often swarm the drill area with cheers, briefly, before moving onto the next rep.
Iamaleava said the energy the coaching staff has brought so far during spring practices has been key to them being really fun for players and promoting competition.
Multiple coaches, including Chesney, got involved during drills, giving advice and encouraging players. Bruin safety Cole Martin said he’s never seen a head coach be as involved in drills as Chesney.
“He wants to be out there playing with us,” Martin said. “It makes everybody better when your head coach is just as motivated and intrigued as you are.”
Like Iamaleava, Martin said he had no thoughts of leaving UCLA after his first conversation with Chesney. Martin said fellow returning defensive back starters Rodrick Pleasant and Scooter Jackson, all three of California, were working out after their first conversations with Chesney and all agreed on one thing: He was different and could change the trajectory of the program.
“You’ve got to believe in somebody, and he’s somebody you can believe in,” Martin said of Chesney.
The last few seasons have been tough for UCLA, after a tumultuous six years under Chip Kelly from 2018-23, the Bruins haven’t won more than five games in their first two Big Ten seasons. The program hasn’t won double-digit games since 2014.
Under Chesney, who led James Madison to a 12-2 record and College Football Playoff berth last season, that trend will look to be reversed.
“You can feel that everybody’s bought in and they want to compete,” Iamaleava said.
Iamaleava said developing his leadership ability by being more vocal on the field has been a focus this offseason. That role includes leading by example, through copious notetaking and attention to detail during practices or when learning plays.
“If you’re the leader, and as a quarterback, if you’re slacking and you try to tell a guy [something] or hold a guy accountable, they’re gonna look at you kind of dumb,” Iamaleava said. “Me being on top of myself, being on top of my stuff lets guys know that they can trust a guy like me.”
Martin said he has noticed Iamaleava being noticeably calmer and embracing his leadership role in spring practices, which he said has been key to building the team’s community.
After Tennessee parted ways with Iamaleava in mid-April of 2025 after the quarterback missed a spring practice amid a name, image and likeness dispute, he said his preseason with UCLA felt “fast-forwarded.”
Iamaleava said he went into preseason camp still learning the playbook. While he is still learning Chesney’s playbook, the situation is very different and Iamaleava said being around the program for the whole spring will be great.
“The more we practice with each other, the more we hang out with each other off the field, I think you continuously build that trust with them,” Iamaleava said. “Spring has been a great learning lesson for me.”
One standout during the live plays was running back Anthony Woods, who broke for a couple of solid runs as a part of what Iamaleava called “one of the top running back rooms in the nation.” Woods went for 294 yards on 63 carries last season.
With Chesney mostly working with the defense during practice, Iamaleava said he has worked very closely with first-year UCLA offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy, especially on how to manage the run game.
“I definitely didn’t know a lot about the run game,” Iamaleava said. “[Kennedy] is taking me to that next step in the run game and just certain looks that we like.”
When asked what was the hardest part of competing against UCLA’s defense in practice, Iamaleava joked that he didn’t want to give them too much credit. He acknowledged, though, that they “do a good job disguising their coverage.”
In response to the inverse question, Martin had a quick laugh, before saying everyone on the offensive side is difficult to cover in their own ways and that competing against each other has been helpful for the whole team’s development.
“We’re trying to all make each other better,” Martin said.
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