The UCLA Bruins parted ways with head coach DeShaun Foster following a disastrous 0-3 start to the 2025 season. With Foster gone, talk has turned to potential transfers, including quarterback Nico Iamaleava. While Iamaleava could theoretically enter the transfer portal, doing so could hurt his college career, as an NCAA transfer rule would limit his ability to play this season.
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NCAA Rules Could Limit Nico Iamaleava’s Transfer Options
College football rules can be more confusing in 2025 than ever. It seems like any player can transfer at any time, with little regulation. However, there are some key rules to understand, especially in UCLA’s current situation.
As CBS Sports’ Rick Neuheisel points out, when a head coach is fired, a 30-day transfer portal window opens immediately for players on that team. That means everyone on UCLA’s roster, including Nico Iamaleava, can enter the portal and be signed by another school at any time within the next 30 days.
“The transfer portal for anyone who loses their head coach opens for 30 days immediately, so they can do that,” Neuheisel said. “But they want to finish the quarter of school at UCLA, they’re on the quarter system.” He later added, “So, they can do that. Which is problematic for making a decision this early, because you could find yourself without a football team.”
This is a significant problem for UCLA, as there is no limit on how many players can leave. As Neuheisel points out, the 30-day window could leave the Bruins without a complete football team.
While theoretically Iamaleava could enter the portal within the next month, there is a problem with doing so. According to NCAA rules, even if a player enters the portal in the first 30 days after a head coaching change, they would not be eligible to play for another team this season.
If Iamaleava were to enter the portal now, he could jeopardize his football career. He would lose the chance to play the remainder of the 2025 season, as he has only appeared in three games so far.
It is a costly choice that requires careful consideration. The smarter move for Iamaleava would be to stay at UCLA for the rest of the 2025 season, play to the best of his ability, and if he ultimately decides to transfer, wait until the winter portal window opens in December.
It is a confusing time for college football players, and Iamaleava has already experienced it, having transferred from Tennessee to UCLA this offseason. With Foster’s firing, the young quarterback could likely be on his third team of his college career by 2026. However, he should finish the season at UCLA before making a final decision.