LOOK: 5-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava visits Hawaii
Long Beach (Calif.) Poly quarterback Nico Iamaleava may be committed to Tennessee, but that isn’t stopping him from showing love to the first school to offer him a Division I scholarship.
This weekend, the country’s No. 4 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus is visiting Hawaii, which extended him an offer when he was just a high school freshman.
What the Rainbow Warriors coaching staff saw in him back then soon became apparent to programs around the country. Before committing to the Volunteers last month, Iamaleava held more than 20 offers, including ones from Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Oregon, and UCLA.
Tennessee, who wasn’t thought to be much more than a blip on the radar in his early recruitment, won out.
“I went in there on my first visit thinking it would be cool because it is an SEC school, but it really surprised me,” Iamaleava told On3’s Chad Simmons when he committed. “The fan base, the coaches, the people – it was all the best. I got that crazy feeling on that first visit, so I knew I had to get back. … Getting back a second time and spending more time with the coaches, letting my family get a feel for Knoxville and learning more about what Tennessee is about brought it all together. I knew Knoxville was for me.”
Nico Iamaleava Scouting Summary
“High-upside signal caller who may have the best physical tools among quarterbacks in the 2023 cycle. Has one of the stronger arms in the cycle, generating considerable velocity on his throws in camp settings. Tall with a slender build with room to fill out. Boasts a quick, clean throwing motion despite his longer arms. A bouncy, fluid mover who doubles as a top volleyball player. Still developing in terms of some technical aspects of the game. Plays in a high school offense that is heavily skewed towards quick passes and screens. Can continue to improve his accuracy on downfield passes. Has done a very good job taking care of the football with just two interceptions in his first two varsity seasons.” — Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings