Nico Iamaleava’s transfer from the Tennessee Volunteers to UCLA Bruins didn’t just give the Bruins a much-needed quarterback; it also provided a significant boost to the program. The 20-year-old signal-caller’s arrival fundamentally shifted UCLA’s recruiting momentum and even the financial dynamics of how players are committing to Westwood.

UCLA bringing in Iamaleava, and the situation with transfer wideout Kaedin Robinson — who made public record his $500,000 NIL deal in an effort to successfully sue the NCAA for eligibility this season — signals that the Bruins, who went 3-6 in league play in their first year in the Big Ten, are now in the game.