This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as Iamaleava Laying Foundation for UCLA's Future . As the college football season approaches, the buzz around UCLA and star quarterback Nico Iamaleava is growing louder. But Iamaleava's impact won't last just one season; he's laying the foundation for plenty of elite recruits to come.

Quarterback Nico Iamaleava says "false reports" mischaracterized his motivations for leaving Tennessee, adding that he chose UCLA to play closer to home.

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava said Thursday that his main motivation for transferring this spring was proximity to family, not the money in his NIL deal.

Though much of the critique has come from his departure from Tennessee after a NIL dispute, Iamaleava assures that his family was the main motivator in getting back to Southern California.

Fox Sports national college football analyst RJ Young released his “Ultimate 136” rankings Thursday. Despite the transfer of quarterback Nico Iamaleava, DeShaun Foster’s Bruins are only expected to win around five games.

UCLA coach DeShaun Foster says he likes what he has seen so far from quarterback Nico Iamaleava, including his determination to succeed.

There’s a lot of hype around UCLA football this year, and most of it has to do with new quarterback Nico Iamaleava. He’s one of the top transfers in the country