Nico Iamaleava opens up on season-ending torn ACL: 'I'll be back'

Amid his second season with the program, UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava suffered a torn ACL in the Bruins 17-15 win over then-No. 13 ranked Oregon on Oct 10. Iamaleava was instrumental in UCLA‘s stellar 5-0 (3-0) start to the season, which propelled them to No. 12 in the AP Poll (highest ranking since Nov. 2022). In five games this season, Iamaleava had completed 62.1% of his passes for 982 yards and four touchdowns with four interceptions. On the ground, he rushed for 144 yards and another score. UCLA turned to backup Ty Dieffenbach following Iamaleava’s injury, who has since led the Bruins to wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State in his absence. $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage The Bruins, now sitting at 7-0 (5-0) and ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll, are positioned to potentially reach the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. There’s no doubt the program, however, would have loved for Iamaleava to have been a part of the complete ride. On Thursday, Iamaleava opened up about his injury on Instagram. “I’m heartbroken the way my season ended,” Iamaleava wrote. “I’ve finally accepted that this year is really over for me. This wasn’t part of the plan, but I believe everything happens for a reason. I gave this game and my brothers everything I had and I’ll continue to lean on God and trust His plan. I’ll be back.” Ty Dieffenbach to lead Bruins over remainder of season In relief of Iamaleava, Dieffenbach has totaled 505 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and one interception across three games. Following the Oregon game, UCLA head coach Bob Chesney opened up about Dieffenbach having to step up in relief of the former starter. “When someone goes down and someone has to step up, I say it every single time… you’re either exposed or you’re revealed,” Chesney said postgame. “One of the two is going to happen when your number gets called. For Ty to step up in that moment when Nico couldn’t go, he put himself in a spot where he was revealed for knowing the run game and getting us into the touchdown pass.” UCLA has five games remaining on its schedule, none of which are currently slated to be against ranked opponents. The Bruins managed to avoid three of the top teams in the conference this season (Ohio State, Indiana, and Northwestern), and could very likely find themselves favored in all five of their remaining games.