COLUMBUS, Ohio — Nico Iamaleava’s return to Ohio Stadium was supposed to be the most intriguing storyline entering Saturday’s matchup between Ohio State and UCLA football. That is no longer the case.
The UCLA quarterback won’t play due to a concussion, according to a report from On3. The injury was suffered during last week’s loss against Nebraska.
Iamaleava finished the contest, but concussion symptoms didn’t surface until postgame, per the report. Sophomore Luke Duncan will likely start in Iamaleava’s place.
Iamaleava transferred to UCLA from Tennessee this offseason. His well-documented departure came after he spent two seasons with the Vols. During the 2024 campaign, he was the team’s starter and led UT to its first College Football Playoff appearance.
However, the postseason trip didn’t last long.
Tennessee, as the No. 9 seed, lost at No. 8-seeded Ohio State in the first round of the CFP. Iamaleava threw for only 108 yards in the loss but ran for 47 yards with two scores.
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