Top Local Quarterback Nicholaus Iamaleava Lists UCLA Football in Top 12

One of the top passers out west made the Bruins a semifinalist alongside Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame and others.

(Photo Courtesy of Nicholaus Iamaleava/Twitter)

The Bruins got a Christmas present when one of their top targets listed them as a semifinalist Saturday morning.

Class of 2023 quarterback Nicholaus Iamaleava listed UCLA football in his top 12 schools, he announced on Twitter. Iamaleava is also considering Oregon State, Georgia, Ole Miss, Miami (FL), Auburn, Tennessee, Oregon, Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame and BYU.

Iamaleava also had offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Florida State, Hawaii, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, USC, Utah and Washington State.

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S🎄#TEAMMOM💝#TOABOYZ pic.twitter.com/X66TtGHoc1

— Nico Iamaleava Jr.🇦🇸 🇼🇸 (@nico_iamaleava8) December 25, 2021

The 247Sports Composite has Iamaleava rated as a five-star recruit, while ESPN and Rivals both have him at four stars. All three systems have Iamaleava ranked as the No. 4 quarterback in the country, coming in as the No. 17 player overall in the 247Sports Composite, No. 25 on ESPN and No. 42 on Rivals.

Iamaleava had an unofficial visit to UCLA on June 22, then returned for an official visit on Nov. 14 alongside some of his teammates from Warren High School (CA).

The coach who ran point on Iamaleava's recruitment and sent him his scholarship offer back on Jan. 3 was defensive line coach Johnny Nansen – who is Samoan, like Iamaleava – rather than now-retired quarterbacks coach Dana Bible. However, Nansen has since left to become the defensive coordinator at Arizona, and he has been replaced by former UNLV, USC and Utah assistant Chad Kauha'aha'a.

Since receiving that offer from the Bruins, Iamaleava has taken a leap on the gridiron, throwing for 17 touchdowns and 1,004 yards in seven games as a sophomore last spring. In the 2021 fall season, Iamaleava racked up 2,244 passing yards and 33 passing touchdowns to go along with 158 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in nine games.

In his high school career, the 6-foot-6 signal-caller has 54 total touchdowns and just four giveaways. Iamaleava's production on the field helped him earn an invite to the Polynesian Bowl.

The Bruins are going to go through some major turnover at the quarterback position this offseason, with underclassmen Parker McQuarrie and Kajiya Hollawayne entering the transfer portal and Dorian Thompson-Robinson likely declaring for the NFL Draft in the coming weeks. One of the top class of 2022 quarterbacks in the country, Justyn Martin, signed on earlier in December, and former UCF starter Dillon Gabriel committed to UCLA the very next day.

Gabriel, Martin, Ethan Garbers and Chase Griffin are all going to have eligibility to return for the 2023 season as well, meaning Iamaleava would be joining quite the crowded position room if he committed to the Bruins.

Coming from Downey, California, Iamaleava already lives just 25 miles away from Westwood. For all of the top-ranked quarterbacks from Southern California who have decided to play their college ball elsewhere, Iamaleava and Martin would combine to make quite the tandem of young local talent.

Iamaleava is rated higher in the 247Sports Composite than any quarterback who has ever committed to UCLA, outside of Josh Rosen. Overall, Iamaleava would be the program's sixth highest-rated recruit of the last 25 years.

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