Nico Iamaleava may be coming off the most turbulent year of his football career.

After exiting the College Football Playoff with a first-round loss, the redshirt sophomore quarterback began spring 2025 in hot water.

Or rather, lost at sea.

A year later, it seems to be anything but.

Iamaleava is back home in Southern California, and Saturday, he – along with the rest of UCLA football – completed their fifth spring practice at Spaulding Field.

“The first time after I met coach Chesney, I was pretty sold on staying here,” Iamaleava said. “I didn’t want to leave. When I met coach Chesney, got to sit down with him, … it was a no-brainer.”

As the narrative of Iamaleava searching for a major pay bump took hold in 2025, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel came out and said, “There’s nobody bigger than the Power T,” with the quarterback soon hitting the transfer portal.

Iamaleava ended up at UCLA – widely seen as a Big-Ten football laughing stock – and soon found himself 0-3 with his head coach DeShaun Foster fired, along with offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and offensive playcaller, Tino Sunseri, out the door.

There were ups – namely the Bruins’ three-game win streak – but it was mostly downs. Iamaleava finished his first season as a Bruin 3-9.

But this time there was no drama.

Far fewer headlines, social media comments or statements from his head coach.

Iamaleava is back, and if his smile is any indication, he’s happy ahead of another season at home.

“Spring has been a great learning lesson for me,” Iamaleava said. “Last year, I went into fall camp still learning the offense, and then we went into the season. So it has been great getting this whole spring under my belt.”

Following his time with Heupel, Sunseri, and former associate head coach and tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel, Iamaleava will be with his fourth offensive playcaller in three seasons.

But the quarterback’s assessment of offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy: so far, so good.

“Coach Kennedy brings a lot of knowledge to the game,” Iamaleava said. “He’s taught me a lot more about the run game and why we like what we run.”

Cole Martin initially entered the transfer portal in December – along with other Bruins like junior defensive back Scooter Jackson.

But after the redshirt sophomore defensive back’s first conversation with Chesney, he knew he would ultimately stay put.

“Los Angeles, California, best place to play football in the world, and Coach Chesney came in and sold that to us,” Martin said. “He wants to win. … Growing up as a kid, running around here, I wanted to see this university back on top.”

In fact, Jackson and junior Rodrick Pleasant felt the same way – the trio all returned to UCLA for 2026.

“Coach Chesney came, and we (Martin, Pleasant and Jackson) had a conversation with him,” Martin said. “We all got with each other after, and we’re like, ‘He’s different.’ … You got a coach that is trying to change the whole trajectory. You got to believe in somebody, and he’s somebody you can believe in.”

Even with his father, former assistant coach, pass game coordinator and secondary coach Demetrice Martin, since moving for a position at Arizona State, Cole Martin is happy staying at the program he grew up idolizing.