UCLA 4-star QB commit Madden Iamaleava denied eligibility at new school after transfer

Last month, reports surfaced that UCLA four-star quarterback commit Madden Iamaleava had chosen to transfer from Downey (Calif.) Warren High to Long Beach Poly for the rest of his senior season.

But after a lengthy review process, Iamaleava has been denied athletic eligibility in all sports by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern-Section. That decision is effective until Oct. 1, 2026.

The CIF prohibits athletes from participating immediately with their new school if they deem a transfer to be “athletically motivated” rather than because a student changed their area of residence or is moving schools for academic reasons.

Iamaleava is the younger brother of Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava. The brothers transferred to Long Beach Poly previously in the spring of 2022 ahead of Nico’s senior season, but quickly left and opted to return to Warren in the summer. 

Nico, who began his career as a freshman at Poly before transferring to Warren, played his senior season at Warren before signing with Tennessee as one of the nation’s top overall recruits in the Class of 2023.

Madden assumed the starting quarterback role after his departure. And in his lone season as a starter for Warren last season, Madden threw for over 3,600 yards and 43 touchdowns against just four interceptions. He then committed to UCLA in May, choosing the Bruins over TCU, SMU and a handful of other programs.

He played in Warren’s first game of the 2024 season, a 31-20 loss to Kamehameha (Hi.) on Aug. 23. He and fellow UCLA commit, wide receiver Jace Brown, were soon no longer listed on Warren’s roster.

Now though, he will have to finish out his senior year off the field before enrolling at UCLA.