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The Nico Iamaleava era is off to a worrisome start for UCLA, and its Week 2 competition is rubbing it in.
“Honestly, nothing really sticks out to me about him [on tape],” UNLV Rebels defensive again Aamaris Brown mentioned about Iamaleava on Monday. “You already know, previously there’s been speak about ‘five-star this, five-star that.’ I’ve been round loads of five-star and four-star [players], it do not scare me. I’ve performed competitors greater than them, together with Alabama and all that. …
“Going in opposition to a man like Nico, there isn’t any shock, no pleasure or nothing like that.”
Final week, UCLA was drubbed at residence by former Pac-12 rival Utah, 43-10. Within the loss, Iamaleava totaled 136 passing yards, 47 speeding yards, one passing landing, one interception and a 107.8 passer score, whereas finishing 50.0% of his passes. The Rebels host Iamaleava and the Bruins on Saturday evening.
Iamaleava had arguably essentially the most dramatic offseason switch within the sport, as he left Tennessee following a 10-3 season that noticed it attain the School Soccer Playoff for UCLA. The transfer got here after Iamaleava reportedly sought a better NIL wage, with UCLA’s campus additionally being roughly an hour north of Lengthy Seashore, CA, the quarterback’s hometown.
In what was his first season as a full-time starter, Iamaleava, the No. 2 quarterback recruit within the Class of 2023, totaled 2,616 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, 5 interceptions and a 145.3 passer score, whereas finishing 63.8% of his passes. He additionally rushed for 358 yards and three touchdowns.
As for the one who’s crucial of the younger signal-caller, Brown – a sixth-year senior – is in his first season at UNLV, which is his third collegiate staff. After spending the primary two seasons of his profession at Kansas State (2020-21), Brown transferred to South Florida, the place he performed for the subsequent three seasons (2022-24). He totaled two interceptions in each 2022 and 2023 earlier than an injury-plagued 2024 season.
The Rebels are off to a 2-0 begin this season, with a house victory over Idaho State (38-31) and a street victory over Sam Houston (38-21). Brown has shined to this point, totaling 12 mixed tackles, three tackles for loss and two interceptions, working again certainly one of them for a landing.
UNLV is coming off an 11-3 season however is in its first season with former Florida and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen on the helm. In the meantime, UCLA is in its second season with DeShaun Foster as head coach, with this system going 5-7 in 2024.
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