CBS
Oregon defensive tackle Bear Alexander appears to throw a punch at UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava during a Big Ten college football game on Oct. 10, 2026.
A pair of the most polarizing players in college football today found themselves in another controversial moment on Saturday.
Oregon Ducks defensive tackle Bear Alexander, who made previous stops at Georgia and USC, is drawing ire from fans across the country after seemingly punching UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava in the head.
Not only was Alexander not ejected from the game, he also wasn’t flagged at all for the play. Meanwhile, Iamaleava, who began his college career at Tennessee, left the game following the incident.
Disgusting late hit (punch) from Oregon DT Bear Alexander on UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava.
No flag from the refs; they didn’t see it. https://t.co/RlZ5bUAjDm
— Dean Ralsky (@DeanRalsky) October 10, 2026
Iamaleava did not return to the game. However, the Bruins designated him as “out” with a leg injury despite the punch from Alexander appearing to be to the head.
Either way, college football fans are making sure Alexander gets called out for the incident. And he could face further punishment from the Big Ten if the conference does determine that he intentionally punched Iamaleava in the head.
This is even more flagrant than the hit that took out Dante Moore.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) October 10, 2026
Suspension coming for #1
— Dr Keeneland Dan (@fatbaldguyracin) October 10, 2026
WOW…..no penalty there?
— 🎥~TennesseeSportsNet~🎥 (@TSNSports) October 10, 2026
Alexander is likely to argue that he was attempting to knock the ball out of Iamaleava’s hands. However, Iamaleava was already down by contact, and the punch didn’t land anywhere near the ball.
What do you think? Was it just a miscalculation by Alexander? Or should he face punishment? Let us know in the comments below!