Home / Sports / Bruins' Backup QB Battle Intensifies as 2025 Season Approaches
Bruins' Backup QB Battle Intensifies as 2025 Season Approaches
15 Aug
Summary
- UCLA's starting QB Nico Iamaleava is set, but backup role is up for grabs
- Four players competing for the No. 2 spot, including transfer Clarkson and returning Duncan
- Iamaleava's younger brother Madden, a 2025 recruit, also in the mix
With the 2025 college football season just around the corner, the battle for the backup quarterback role at UCLA is intensifying. Nico Iamaleava is firmly established as the Bruins' starting signal-caller, but the competition to be his understudy is wide open.
According to head coach DeShaun Foster, four players are currently in the mix for the No. 2 spot. This includes Clarkson, a transfer from Ole Miss, and Duncan, who backed up Ethan Garbers last season. Despite Garbers' departure, Duncan is still considered a prime contender for the backup job.
Iamaleava's younger brother, Madden, a four-star recruit for the class of 2025, is also in the running, though he is likely to redshirt this year. Hasselbeck, who committed to UCLA in 2023 and redshirted his first season, rounds out the group of contenders.
Foster has been tight-lipped about the specifics of the competition, saying only that the battle is "progressing" and "still open." He is looking for the player who can "command, perform, and get the best out of their reps" as the Bruins prepare for the upcoming campaign.
With Iamaleava's status as the undisputed starter, the backup quarterback role has become a crucial position battle to watch as UCLA aims to build on its momentum from the previous season.
