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Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Can UCLA sustain its buzz? Five questions Bruins must address going into training camp
DeShaun Foster politely declined to specify how many wins he wanted in Year 2 other than to say 'a lot.' The UCLA coach was far more forthcoming when asked about his team packing the Rose Bowl to the extent that the Bruins did when Foster was running over opposing defenses a quarter of a century ago. In fact, Foster went full Joe Namath mode in predicting a full stadium before the end of 2025. 'Yeah, it will be,' Foster said Thursday during Big Ten media days. 'You guys will see that. You'll see it this season. I'm guaranteeing that you'll see it this season — as long as we're playing the way that we need to play, they'll show up.' Read more: 'It came down to me wanting to be back home': Nico Iamaleava details move to UCLA Those are bold words considering the Bruins averaged just 46,805 fans for home games last season and have not topped 50,000 since averaging 51,164 during coach Chip Kelly's first season in 2018. UCLA has a long way to go to approach the 73,709 it averaged in 1998, when Foster helped the Bruins win their last conference championship as a star freshman tailback. But crazier bets have paid off handsomely. Namath's New York Jets toppled the 18-point favorite Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III after Namath guaranteed that his team would win. Can UCLA make its coach look equally prophetic? Here are five questions facing the Bruins as they prepare to open training camp Wednesday morning in Costa Mesa: Can Nico Iamaleava show he's worthy of the buzz? UCLA's new quarterback handled the pressure at media day, patiently answering questions (many of them asked repeatedly) about his messy departure from Tennessee. Now comes a far greater challenge: mastering a new offense in a month. That's how long Nico Iamaleava has from the start of training camp until the season opener against Utah on Aug. 30 at the Rose Bowl. In an encouraging sign, Iamaleava said he's been pushed by the training staff harder than he ever has before and is excited by offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri's pro-style scheme. After displaying exceptional arm strength in leading Tennessee to the College Football Playoff last season, Iamaleava said he's working on the 'cerebral side of football' in his bid to take the next step as a top-tier quarterback. 'You know, I'd say probably 90% of playing the position is really your brain,' Iamaleava said, 'so I think Coach Tino has just taught me how to use it and has put me in great positions to go out there and be successful.' Will the offensive line hold up? Maybe Garrett DiGiorgio & Co. can land an NIL deal with STP oil treatment or the Stone Temple Pilots. That's because the offensive line has a new motto — STP, standing for "Something To Prove" — that would fit either brand. It's certainly an accurate assessment given the offensive line gave up 34 sacks last season and was part of a running game that averaged just 86.6 yards, ranking No. 131 out of 133 major college football teams. 'I think that's very true,' DiGiorgio said of the motto, 'because we do have something to prove as a unit.' DiGiorgio split time between right tackle and left guard in spring practice as part of new offensive line coach Andy Kwon's bid to get his best five players on the field. When DiGiorgio played left guard, Reuben Unije slotted in at right tackle. Read more: A year after stumbling at Big Ten media days, UCLA's DeShaun Foster is poised and confident Kentucky transfer Courtland Ford appears the front-runner to start at left tackle alongside DiGiorgio or Oluwafunto Akinshilo at left guard, Sam Yoon at center, Julian Armella at right guard and DiGiorgio or Reuben Unije at right tackle. Armella's story is similar to many of the new transfers on the roster. A widely heralded prospect who never fulfilled the hype in three seasons at Florida State, Armella is seeking a breakthrough with the Bruins. Kwon's strategy for improvement goes beyond catchphrases. DiGiorgio said there's been a new emphasis on sustaining blocks instead of just making an initial block and releasing the defender. Can the running game get going? There were times last season when it seemed as if Foster and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, even in middle age, could have had more success running the ball than their twentysomething counterparts. UCLA's running game was that bad. Enter an influx of intriguing running backs. California transfer Jaivian Thomas could become an immediate star after averaging 6.3 yards last season as Jaydn Ott's backup. 'He's a guy,' Foster said of Thomas, 'who has explosive capabilities.' Other candidates to emerge include Anthony Woods, a onetime standout at Idaho who sat out last season at Utah while recovering from an Achilles injury; freshman Karson Cox, the top high school running back recruit in California; and returners Jalen Berger and Anthony Frias II. Who will be the defensive playmakers? There's no sugarcoating the loss of NFL draftees Carson Schwesinger, Oluwafemi Oladejo, Kain Medrano and Jay Toia, who comprised the heart of a rigid defense. Collectively, those players combined for 290 tackles and 11 sacks in 2024. Who might replace them? Linebacker JonJon Vaughns, a candidate to become a playmaker in his own right after giving up baseball to fully commit to football, identified defensive tackle Gary Smith as someone to watch based on his play in practice after sitting out last season with a foot injury. Read more: Wide receiver Kaedin Robinson suing NCAA in bid to play for UCLA this season 'He took on two blocks, and I just went right in,' Vaughns said of his ability to penetrate the backfield thanks to the assist, 'and I'm like, I've been missing this — I've been missing you.' Foster said he also expected big things from defensive tackle Keanu Williams; edge rusher Anthony Jones; linebackers Jalen Woods and Isaiah Chisom; and defensive backs Croix Stewart, Key Lawrence, Robert Stafford and Andre Jordan Jr. During the spring, defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe pinpointed another future star when he said redshirt sophomore defensive tackle A.J. Fuimaono would become a better player than Toia after appearing exclusively as a reserve last season. Can training off campus pull the team together? For the first time since 2016, when it ventured to San Bernardino, UCLA will hold training camp away from the Wasserman Center. The move to Costa Mesa was made in part because the Bruins are installing a new grass field at their practice facility, but it could have added benefits for a team with so many newcomers. 'We're going to be all in the same hotel together and our practice field is four minutes away,' DiGiorgio said. 'So I feel like it's going to be really good for us to grow that connectedness even more.' Sign up for UCLA sports for big game takeaways, recruiting buzz and more UCLA sports insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
What Penn State fans should know about the UCLA Bruins in 2025
UCLA faced a rude awakening in its first year in the Big Ten, tumbling to 5-7 in year one under head coach DeShaun Foster. The Bruins started to click down the stretch, winning four of their last six contests, but they failed to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2020. UCLA hit the transfer portal hard this offseason, revamping its offense and secondary ahead of 2025. Here's what to expect from the Bruins this season. 2024 in review UCLA began its season by sneaking out a narrow win over Hawaii before before dropping five straight contests, including three against ranked opponents. The schedule lightened up and the Bruins' offense starting clicking, leading to a drastic turnaround in the back half of the schedule. Though they finished with a poor overall record, there's reason for optimism given how the team rallied. Head coach profile DeShaun Foster got off to a shaky start, with an extremely awkward introduction at Big Ten media days where the moment appeared too big for him. He followed that up with a slow start to the season, and some speculated he would be fired after just one season. However, he turned the ship around and made some splashy offseason moves, closing out his first year as a head coach. Prior to that, he was a running backs coach at Texas Tech and UCLA. Top offensive player In one of the most controversial and heavily publicized moves of the offseason, the Bruins added transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava after an ugly NIL-related fallout at Tennessee. There's no denying Iamaleava, a former 5-star recruit, is one of the most talented players at the position. But his inexperience showed at times last season, and his off-field issues could become a distraction this fall. With the Volunteers, he completed 213-for-334 passes for 2,616 yards and a 19-5 touchdown-interception ratio last season - solid numbers for a redshirt freshman. Top defensive player UCLA's defense struggled last season, leading the coaching staff to bring in a large transfer portal contingent this offseason. While none of the defensive additions are considered stars, there are several solid contributors who are expected to land starting roles. Edge rusher Nico Davillier arrives after starting in six games with Arkansas last season and was solid when on the field. Additionally, cornerback Andre Jordan Jr. arrives from Oregon State after appearing in 11 games as a rotational piece last season. 2025 schedule Aug. 30 vs. Utah Sept. 6 at UNLV Sept. 12 (Fri.) vs. New Mexico Sept. 27 at Northwestern Oct. 4 vs. Penn State Oct. 11 at Michigan State Oct. 18 vs. Maryland Oct. 25 at Indiana Nov. 8 vs. Nebraska Nov. 15 at Ohio State Nov. 22 vs. Washington Nov. 29 at USC Penn State and UCLA will clash for the second consecutive year and eighth overall occasion in early October. The Bruins will welcome the Nittany Lions in a cross-country trip, the first meeting in Los Angeles since 1968. Penn State trails the all-time series 3-4 but will have a chance to pull even as favorites this fall. This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: What Penn State fans should know about UCLA in 2025
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
After successful Big Ten debut, UCLA has designs on something even bigger
It's a chaotic time in college sports, the rules seeming to change daily and some athletes making nearly as much money as their coaches. At UCLA, the revenue-sharing era officially starts Friday. Athletes will undoubtedly keep refreshing their PayPal accounts to check for that first payment from the pot of $20.5 million that will be distributed in the first year. Meanwhile, Bruins athletic director Martin Jarmond will be keeping tabs on another bottom line — following up a successful Big Ten debut with something far bigger. Having tallied 10 conference championships between the Big Ten and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation — more than any other Big Ten school — UCLA could be poised for a breakthrough in its two marquee sports as part of a potentially historic year across the board for its athletic department. The football team landed transfer Nico Iamaleava from Tennessee and the men's basketball team brought in Donovan Dent from New Mexico, giving UCLA perhaps its best quarterback-point guard combination since Josh Rosen and Lonzo Ball nearly a decade ago. Read more: 'It came down to me wanting to be back home': Nico Iamaleava details move to UCLA 'If you look at our athletic program,' Jarmond, who recently completed his fifth year on the job, told The Times, 'there's an energy and buzz that I feel we haven't had since I've been here, and that's why I'm most positive now.' At a recent player-run practice on campus, Jarmond watched Iamaleava step up in the pocket and fire a 50-yard pass down the sideline to wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer. 'Nico made a play that I don't know how many other guys in the country could make,' Jarmond said, 'and I was like, 'whoa.' Like, that's pretty cool, you know?' There's lots of intrigue to behold in Westwood these days. Read more: UCLA finds its Dylan Andrews replacement in former New Mexico standout Donovan Dent Fresh off a Final Four run, the women's basketball team bolstered itself with the additions of sharpshooter Gianna Kneepkens, a highly coveted transfer from Utah, and freshman Sienna Betts, the younger sister of All-America center Lauren Betts. Oh, and don't forget that softball slugger Megan Grant will make Pauley Pavilion a second home as part of her bid to become a two-sport standout. Grant will also once again combine with Jordan Woolery as perhaps the nation's top-hitting duo in their bid to help the softball team not only make it back to the Women's College World Series but win the whole thing this time. The baseball team that just made the College World Series is bringing back shortstop Roch Cholowsky, the probable No. 1 pick in the 2026 Major League Baseball draft, and recently learned that high school pitcher Angel Cervantes will play for the Bruins next season instead of the Pittsburgh Pirates after contract negotiations ended with the recent draftee. Jarmond said he was confident the team could continue to play at Jackie Robinson Stadium in 2026 after a judge issued a stay of legal proceedings that threatened to force the Bruins to go elsewhere. The men's water polo team will try to defend its national championship with Ryder Dodd trying to top a season in which the freshman scored a MPSF-record 102 goals. Read more: 'A huge moment': Martin Jarmond discusses UCLA's plans after House settlement After finishing as runner-up to national champion Oklahoma, the women's gymnastics team will welcome a top recruiting class plus the return of two-time Olympic medalist Jordan Chiles. Jarmond said he appreciates working for a university administration that understands the importance of supporting a strong Olympic sports program, particularly with the 2028 Summer Olympics headed to Los Angeles. 'This is the time to continue to invest in our Olympic sports and make sure that we have the excellence that UCLA is known for,' Jarmond said, 'and we're going to uphold that tradition.' Unlike other schools that have imposed student fees to help offset rising athletic department costs upon the onset of revenue sharing, UCLA officials have not discussed such a move, Jarmond said. The Bruins will instead focus on revenue generation through fundraising, ticket sales, sponsorships and new creative endeavors. The school plans to partner with an outside firm to help its athletes with content creation to boost their social media following, making them more attractive to brands that could hire them for name, image and likeness deals. Jarmond said he's not aware of any NIL deals involving UCLA athletes being rejected by the new College Sports Commission, though there remains a backlog of deals under review. Deals of $600 or more are evaluated by a clearinghouse called NIL Go to ensure they represent fair market value and a legitimate business purpose. The role of collectives in offering additional compensation to athletes beyond revenue sharing continues to evolve as part of a shift away from what was previously considered a hard cap on earnings. 'I'm optimistic that it's going to work out,' Jarmond said of maximizing earnings opportunities for athletes. 'I'm optimistic that we will adapt to whatever situation that presents itself based on hard cap, soft cap, whatever cap.' UCLA is also strengthening the infrastructure of its men's and women's basketball teams with the hiring of an assistant general manager for each sport to help with recruiting and navigating the transfer portal. When it comes to revenue sharing payments, Jarmond said he's leaving it up to coaches to dictate how much each player makes. Football coach DeShaun Foster said he divvied up his team's money based on talent, with general manager Khary Darlington and assistant general manager Steven Price assigning values for each player based on previous NFL front office experience dealing with salary structures. Read more: A courtside lounge? Dynamic ticket pricing? UCLA hopes new sports ventures will pay off 'They loved that we had people explaining to them how you're getting this money or why you're not getting this money,' Foster said of his players, 'and I think that resonated with them.' Across all sports, the Bruins are seeking a strong encore after an initial Big Ten season that saw the school place fifth in the Learfield Director's Cup standings, its best finish since 2018. UCLA athletes posted what Jarmond called a 'phenomenal' 3.22 grade-point average through winter quarter (the latest for which figures are available) despite the travel challenges presented by playing in a coast-to-coast conference. For UCLA athletics to reach the heights that Jarmond wants, its football and men's basketball teams must win big, and he believes the coaches and influx of talent on each of those teams will give them a chance to do so next season. Iamaleava's arrival has generated heightened excitement about a football team that went 5-7 in Foster's debut season. Jarmond said two recruits he met with on their campus visits mentioned the quarterback as one of the reasons they wanted to come to UCLA. 'You know, we just have more interest and buzz, and it's cool,' Jarmond said. 'I think DeShaun has created that, and Nico and the guys.' What excites Jarmond most is the potential to be on a victory lap that's picking up speed. 'This is a great time for UCLA athletics,' Jarmond said, 'and I feel like it's just the beginning.' Sign up for UCLA sports for big game takeaways, recruiting buzz and more UCLA sports insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava says his transfer was about family, not money
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava spoke about many things, including his transfer from Tennessee, at Big Ten media days on Thursday. Iamaleava has been surrounded by NIL controversy for college football fans. It has been a long journey since he received his big $8 million dollar NIL deal with Tennessee initially. His long path ultimately led to a transfer from the Tennessee Volunteers to the UCLA Bruins in the spring. Many reports were made stating that the transfer was about money, but Iamaleava wanted to set the record straight when asked at media days. "Just false stuff about whether it was a financial thing or not," Iamaleava said to reporters at the Big Ten media days. "My driving factor to come back home was my family and I hope that every Tennessee fan understands that it was really one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. But I had to do what was best for me and my family and ultimately, I wanted to come back home and be closer to my family." The 6-foot-6-inch signal caller was born in Long Beach, Calif., alongside his brother and fellow Bruin quarterback, Madden Iamaleava. Alongside his younger brother, Iamaleava has two other sibling collegiate athletes in California: Long Beach State volleyball middle blocker Matt Iamaleava and Cypress College volleyball libero Nicaylah Iamaleava. According to UCLA, Nico Iamaleava also has a history of playing volleyball for Long Beach Poly High School and was "ranked by some volleyball analysts as the top high school volleyball prospect in the country," according to
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nico Iamaleava says transfer to UCLA from Tennessee was about being closer to family, not money
Nico Iamaleava sought to downplay the significance of NIL money in his transfer to UCLA at Big Ten media day Thursday. The former Tennessee QB said he had always wanted to play closer to his home in California and didn't feel comfortable after 'false reports' had emerged at Tennessee this spring. 'Just false reports that made me not feel comfortable in the position that I was in,' Iamaleava said. 'But in the back of my head I always wanted to come back home. And be closer to my mom, closer to my dad. And you know, just have my family, their support at our games. In our Samoan culture we're always together, and I think that's the main thing for me, the driving factor for me to come back home.' In an immediate follow-up about the 'false reports' Iamaleava referenced, he said they weren't about an alleged NIL dispute with the school. 'Just false stuff about whether it was a financial thing or not,' Iamaleava said. 'My driving factor to come back home was my family, and I hope every Tennessee fan understands that. That it was really one of the hardest decisions that I've had to make. But I had to do what was best for me and my family, and ultimately I wanted to come back home and be closer to my family." Iamaleava sat out portions of Tennessee's spring practices amid reports he was looking to redo his name, image and likeness deal with the school. His father disputed the idea Iamaleava was looking for more money, and the QB entered the transfer portal April 12. As Iamaleava entered the portal, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said after his team's spring game 'there's no one that's bigger than the Power T. And that includes me.' Iamaleava's appearance at media day Thursday led to his first public comments about his transfer to UCLA. The former five-star recruit chose the Bruins after his younger brother de-committed from Arkansas to go to UCLA. Iamaleava's transfer then led to UCLA QB Joey Aguilar's departure for Knoxville. The former Appalachian State QB transferred to UCLA earlier in the offseason with the goal of being the Bruins' starting QB in 2025. Once Iamaleava arrived, Aguilar left for Tennessee as the Vols were suddenly in need of a starting quarterback. In his lone season as Tennessee's starter, Iamaleava was 213-of-334 passing for 2,616 yards and 19 TDs with just five interceptions. Eleven of those 19 TD passes came in Tennessee's four non-conference games. He had eight TD passes and three interceptions over eight SEC games and the College Football Playoff. In UT's loss to Ohio State in the first round of the playoff, he was 14-of-31 for 104 yards.
