Brothers from the same mother! Leaving his big brother proud as hell, the four-star quarterback Madden Iamaleava, No.143 in the 2025 ESPN 300, flipped his pledge from UCLA Bruins to join the Sam Pittman side with a squad valuation of about $9 Million. The California Long Beach High School boy, brother to the Tennessee Vols QB1 Nico Iamaleava, carried his side to the playoffs.

The Vols passer congratulated his brother Madden Iamaleava on his move to conference rival side, Arkansas Razorback sharing an Instagram story for his little bro, “Proud of you brother”, said Nico Iamaleava. This might be the only time you’d see him posting for a rival team’s official post. It has the elite 4-Star’s HS heroics, with the caption, “Video game moves 🎮 Welcome to the squad.” Soon there will be two Iamaleava’s throwing dimes in the SEC.

Madden Iamaleava, a four-star quarterback and the No. 143 player in the 2025 ESPN 300, flipped his commitment from the Bruins to Arkansas, marking a seismic shift in the recruiting landscape. This decision also delivered a double gut punch to the Bruins, as three-star wide receiver Jace Brown—Madden’s teammate at Long Beach Polytechnic High School—followed suit and committed to Arkansas shortly after. For UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster, who has emphasized local recruiting as a cornerstone of his program, losing Madden, his top-ranked pledge, leaves a gaping hole in the Bruins’ 2025 class.

Madden’s path to this moment hasn’t been without challenges. After transferring from Warren High School to Long Beach Polytechnic, he was ruled ineligible for his senior season, sidelining him during what could have been a crowning high school campaign. Despite this setback, his junior year stats spoke volumes. Leading Warren to an 11-3 record in 2023, Madden showcased why he’s ranked as the No. 8 pocket passer in the 2025 class. His blend of composure in the pocket and athleticism to extend plays mirrors the traits that have made his big bro Nico Iamaleava, who already had his career-high TDs twice now for Heupel’s Vols. The younger Iamaleava already gave a shout out to him for the same.

Under head coach Sam Pittman, who has been aggressively building the Razorbacks finished 6-6, into a force in the hyper-competitive SEC. By snagging a player of Madden’s caliber—especially one who seemed locked in with UCLA—the Razorbacks have added a quarterback with a high ceiling and a pedigree for success. But does he have the numbers to back his name?

At Warren High Madden Iamaleava was balling out

In 2023, Iamaleava was killing it as Warren High’s starting quarterback. The guy was on fire, leading his team to an impressive 11-3 record while throwing for a jaw-dropping 3,626 yards, 43 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. That’s video game numbers right there! But in 2024, after transferring to Long Beach Poly, things hit a snag. Iamaleava played in the season opener for Warren before making the move, and that led to him being ruled ineligible for the season at Poly. Tough break, but it hasn’t dimmed his shine.

Now, the dual-threat QB, just like his brother is taking his talents to Fayetteville, and he’s not coming alone. He’s bringing some firepower with him in the form of his high school teammate and wide receiver, Jace Brown. Brown, a three-star prospect and the No. 49 WR out of California flipped his commitment from UCLA to Arkansas, teaming up with his QB once again.

With this dynamic duo on board, the Razorbacks are sitting at No. 28 nationally in the 2025 recruiting rankings. And with the early signing period wrapping up soon.