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Nico Iamaleava is about to embark on a significant milestone in his recovery from a severe left knee injury.
The UCLA quarterback is set to undergo surgery Monday or Tuesday, coach Bob Chesney said at his weekly media availability.
“Nico, he’s going to be out,” Chesney said. “It’s severe.”
While Chesney did not provide a timetable, it’s widely expected that Iamaleava will miss the rest of the season after getting crunched between two defenders midway through UCLA’s game against Oregon earlier this month.
Iamaleava returned for one more play before being replaced by Ty Dieffenbach, who has guided the No. 9 Bruins (6-0 overall, 4-0 Big Ten) to victories over the Ducks and Wisconsin.
The big question facing Iamaleava: What does he do after this season?
Does he return for another college season or enter the NFL draft while facing a lengthy rehabilitation?
Dieffenbach, a senior, has at least one season – and possibly two – of remaining eligibility after not appearing in any games during his first two seasons at Pittsburgh and starting last season at Cal Poly.
Iamaleava wasn’t playing well before his injury, increasing the likelihood that he’ll have to spend another season in college. He finished 2026 having completed 62.1% of his passes for 982 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions.
Dieffenbach has impressed in his absence, completing 64.1% of his passes for 307 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He was particularly effective on critical plays against Wisconsin, completing a 28-yard pass to Landon Ellis out of his own end zone to sustain a drive early in the fourth quarter.
The Bruins will try to remain unbeaten Saturday when they play Michigan State (2-5, 0-4) at the Rose Bowl.
