The vibes were high for the 21st-ranked UCLA Bruins after they took a 17-15 upset win on the road over the 13th-ranked Oregon Ducks on Saturday.
While it wasn’t their prettiest win, they still had some bad news. Bruins senior quarterback Nico Iamaleava suffered a knee injury in the second half and left the game. Iamaleava went 10-of-17 for 162 yards and 2 interceptions in the win over Oregon.
Concerns were about how the injury would affect Iamaleava for the rest of the season. The Bruins got some bad news about their starting quarterback.
UCLA Bruins News on Nico Iamaleava is Not Good
CBS Sports reporter Matt Zenitz shared an update on Iamaleava and how he is doing after the knee injury. It doesn’t appear UCLA will have their quarterback for the rest of the 2026 season.
“UCLA standout QB Nico Iamaleava is expected to miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury he suffered during the Bruins’ win over Oregon on Saturday, sources tell @CBSSports. An unfortunate development for No. 12 UCLA and for Iamaleava, who had been brought up by multiple NFL front office staffers recently as an ascending top three round draft prospect.”
An unfortunate development for No. 12 UCLA and for Iamaleava, who had been brought up by multiple
Iamaleava finished the season completing 62.1% of his passes for 982 passing yards and 4 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. He also added 144 rushing yards and 1 touchdown. Before joining UCLA last season, he played for the Tennessee Volunteers for his first two years.
UCLA Won’t Have Nico Iamaleava for the Rest of 2026 & Will Turn to Ty Dieffenbach
With Iamaleava out of the picture, the Bruins are handing the keys off to another senior at quarterback. Ty Dieffenbach played the rest of the Oregon game, completing 3-of-6 passes for 43 yards and 1 touchdown.
If Dieffenbach is named starter, it will be his first since joining UCLA this season. He spent last season with Cal Poly, where he completed 56.8% of his passes for 1,305 yards and 9 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. Dieffenbach also rushed for 321 yards and 4 touchdowns.
The Bruins would get another mobile quarterback in Dieffenbach, who can step up as Iamaleava did. That same style of play should keep the offense from missing a beat.
Sitting at 5-0, the Bruins are now in the thick of the Big Ten title race. They moved up to No. 12 in the rankings after beating Oregon.
UCLA returns to action Saturday night, facing the 4-1 Wisconsin Badgers at home. It will be the first game without Iamaleava in the lineup, with Dieffenbach replacing him. The hope is that the Bruins won’t miss a beat and can keep their winning streak going in a critical conference matchup.
UCLA Received Brutal Nico Iamaleava Injury Update After Upset Oregon Win