If you were doing a NFL mock draft based on just publicity alone, then you’d probably have UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava going somewhere in the top three. His transfer saga from Tennessee was one of the most protracted and overly dramatic stories of the offseason. 

We don’t need to re-live it all right now, but most of it had to do NIL money. As it looks right now Iamaleave will make money playing football from N-I-L, but very unlikely in the N-F-L. 

He has all the talent in the world, to be sure, and he truly had some very special moments at Tennessee. However, the UCLA experience has been nothing short of a disaster through the first three games. 

It’s early days for sure, but this might be the strongest sell of all the sell ratings we’ll do this year. 

UCLA is 0-3, with two of the losses coming at home, and a total aggregate point differential of -65. To make matters even worse, two of the Bruins losses have been to non-Power 4 conference teams. If they don’t win their next game, at Northwestern’s temporary lakefront stadium in two weeks, they could easily do an “0 for” this season.

To be fair, the issues extend far beyond Iamaleava, as the Son of Westwood have problems that are not just team wide, but also program wide. Head coach DeShaun Foster is already on sacking watch. Pretty much anybody with access to the internet, and an interest in Big Ten football, produces a conference power rankings, and just about all of them have UCLA 18th of 18. 

 Iamaleava had 19 TDs and five interceptions last season, leading Tennessee to a 10-3 record and the program’s first ever College Football Playoff appearance. He really showed his potential on-the-field in 2024, but the offseason drama that followed afterward certainly didn’t help his NFL Draft stock. 

Neither is being 0-3 with three touchdown passed and three interceptions after three games.Â