Ducks Digest

Top 2023 Quarterback Nico Iamaleava Talks Oregon Ducks Interest, Dan Lanning

The West Coast is loaded with top-tier talent at the quarterback position, and the Ducks are pursuing one of the best in Southern California.

Max Torres

The Oregon staff is hard at work putting the finishing touches on the 2022 recruiting class and preparing for a massive weekend of visits, but recruiting never stops, and they're already prioritizing finding their quarterback for 2023. As we know, getting a quarterback early is crucial for any program, and one target the Ducks are pursuing is 6-foot-6, 200-pound Warren (Downey, Calif.) High School quarterback Nico Iamaleava. 

The highly-touted prep already holds offers from the likes of Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State, and spoke about his interest in the Ducks as the new staff attacks the recruiting trail under new leader Dan Lanning.

*Editor's note: This interview was completed with the help of the staff at SI All-American*

"I met Coach Lanning when he was at Georgia," Iamaleava said. "Great guy and he still remembers me from that time."

The Southern California native is one of a handful of elite prospects Lanning has been speaking with since taking over in Eugene, hopping on a recent phone call to continue building that relationship.

"He was like 'did you remember me or you got too big-time for that?' " he said of his latest contact with the head coach.

However Lanning isn't the only member of Oregon's staff the signal caller has a relationship with.

"Coach Dillingham was the one that offered me when he was at Florida State, so me and him have always had a cool relationship."

Dillingham is one of the new hires that is already receiving great reviews from the recruits that have interacted with him, whether it be on the phone, in person on the recruiting trail, or on a visit to Eugene. Just last week, fellow 2023 quarterback Jaden Rashada discussed how he loved getting on the chalkboard to talk football with Dillingham during his time visiting the Ducks.

Read more: Jaden Rashada discusses Oregon visit, relationship with Kenny Dillingham

The staff Lanning has assembled is already showing its prowess on the recruiting trail, and previous connections are helping with some of the best prospects in the country.

"I knew Coach Dillingham and Coach Lanning from their former staffs and stuff and we just continue to build our relationship every day."

The Ducks are trying to get Iamaleava on campus this weekend, but whether he will make the trip to Eugene is unconfirmed at this time. The talented quarterback took in Miami and the new Hurricane regime under Mario Cristobal last weekend while he was out in the Sunshine State competing at Battle Miami.

We'll be posting a visitor list story for prospects expected to visit Oregon this weekend in the near future.

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Max Torres
MAX TORRES

Max Torres is the publisher and lead editor of Ducks Digest. He's covered the Oregon football and recruiting beats for four years. He's based out of Long Beach, CA and travels around Southern California and the country covering top high school football prospects.

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