It was one of those weeks where headlines could have hijacked the narrative.

The online rumor mill didn’t sleep for three days – whispers that former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava was en route to Westwood from Tennessee reverberated across social media.

Though Iamaleava formally announced his commitment to the Bruins via Instagram on Sunday afternoon, across the week, rumors snowballed, stories multiplied and the Bruins’ spring practice suddenly revolved around one question: How do you reshuffle the deck mid-spring with a new name under center?

[Related: 5-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava transfers to UCLA amid spring training]

Through the incessant chatter remained a poised Joey Aguilar – the quarterback with seemingly everything to lose upon Iamaleava’s arrival. The redshirt senior arrived from Appalachian State in late December and quickly took signal-calling reins. But with Iamaleava set to step foot in Westwood, Aguilar’s grip on the job may be slipping.

“Control what you can control. As a football player, that’s what you got to do,” coach DeShaun Foster said.

But if pressure was closing in on Aguilar, he never let it surface through UCLA football’s ninth spring practice under the glow of Friday Night Lights – this year moved to Drake Stadium to give fans, alumni and donors alike proper seating for the spectacle.

Aguilar’s poise in the pocket let him uncork a deep strike down the sideline to sophomore wide receiver Mikey Matthews, cultivating murmurs and turning heads among the crowd. By the end of the 7-on-7 period, the signal-caller completed eight of nine passes as the Bruins’ offense delivered far more firepower than it did at the start of the month.

Nothing was overly flashy. But it certainly was effective.

And up in the stands, the consistency didn’t go unnoticed.

Three rows separated Aguilar’s family from redshirt senior offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio’s parents Friday night – and as the evening wrapped up around 8:45 p.m., the two sides briefly connected. DiGiorgio’s parents offered a stamp of approval – their son, they said, had been singing Aguilar’s praises, touting him a “great leader” for the Bruins.

“If you can’t perform because there’s a little bit of noise, that’s probably not a good thing,” Foster said. “But from what I’ve seen from Joey these last few practices, he’s been good.”

Beyond the buzz on social media, Drake Stadium was alive Friday night with upward of 250 recruits on hand, joined by a strong showing of Bruin alumni wearing their Westwood pride on their sleeves.

Among the notable alumni were NFL tight end Marcedes Lewis, running back Zach Charbonnet, potential NFL Draft picks Carson Schwesinger, Oluwafemi Oladejo and Moliki Matavao, as well as broadcaster Cari Champion and ex-NBA standouts Baron Davis and now-media personality Matt Barnes.

The common sentiment among the aforementioned alumni was that the culture being fostered by this year’s coaching staff is not only attracting them back to Westwood but also pointing to a promising trajectory for the program.

“I’m expecting big things. I was blessed to have him (Foster) come in and give me an opportunity,” Schwesinger said. “With him at the helm, I think UCLA is going in the right direction.”

Music blared between reps as local rapper 310babii took the stage for a live performance between practice periods. Comedian and actor Frankie Quiñones, embodying his “cholo” fitness instructor persona Creeper, chatted with former Bruins, all of which aired on the video board.

Aguilar and second-string redshirt sophomore quarterback Luke Duncan developed their flows, the defense imposed its will and running backs continued to power through – highlighted by redshirt senior Anthony Frias II’s 50-yard touchdown run and the continued emergence of incoming freshman Karson Cox.

“Karson’s doing a great job, especially being a freshman running back. He came in early, changed his body completely – probably put on 12 pounds already,” said Foster, who was a standout running back for the Bruins and in the NFL in his playing days. “If he can come in and play as a freshman, I think his ceiling could be a little bit higher than mine, and I’m just excited to see him because he’s such a good kid.”

Foster, decked out in a crisp white UCLA tracksuit, was the unseen force behind the curtains – his fingerprints streaked on the uptick in tempo on the field and the noticeable return of alumni to Westwood.

And while Iamaleava’s name never came over Quiñones’s emceeing, it certainly hovered in the background – though not as a distraction but rather a reminder that this team is evolving and competition is intensifying.

“UCLA is starting to change, and he’s (Foster’s) starting to make change happen,” Davis said.