5-star QB, Tennessee commit Nico Iamaleava shines in first game of senior season
He only played the first half, but Long Beach (Calif.) Warren five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava demonstrated why he is one of the nation’s best prospects on Saturday night. In Warren’s season opener against Kamehameha Kapalama (Hi.), the Tennessee commit threw for roughly 210 yards and two touchdowns on 12-of-18 passes, while gaining more than 50 yards on the ground.
In the Bears’ 50-0 win in the Aloha State, Iamaleava connected with his receivers on both long and short passes, made quick decisions to escape pressure and showcased his running ability to gain yardage on broken plays. These qualities are a few of the reasons that the 6-foot-5.5, 195 pound signal-caller is the No. 10 overall prospect and the No. 4 quarterback in the 2023 On3 Consensus. He’s rated even higher by On3 as the No. 2 overall prospect and No. 2 quarterback in the 2023 On300.
Iamaleava quickly found the end zone with Warren’s offense
Warren had a lot of momentum when Iamaleava first took the field since the Bears took back the opening kickoff for a touchdown. He started moving the Bears forward with numerous short passes and eventually got set up in the red zone. Despite a full-on rush from defenders, Iamaleava softly sent a short pass to a nearby receiver for the game’s first offensive touchdown.
The next drive included one of his best throws of the night. Facing a fourth-and-long, Iamaleava sat back in the pocket and sent a long pass down the right sideline. It found his receiver roughly 40 yards downfield.
Iamaleava would find a Warren wideout for his next touchdown of the game moments later.
Even though Kamehameha Kapalama got close to the quarterback on some drives, he was able to use his size and speed to evade the rush. On one broken play, Iamaleava shuffled to his left and ran nearly 30 yards down the field before being stopped.
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He also utilized Warren’s running game, handing the ball off for a change of pace or to establish the Bears’ presence on the ground. Additionally, whenever he couldn’t find an open receiver, he didn’t make risky throws, but rather sent it away from a possible interception.
Iamaleava finishes his season-opener strong
Iamaleava also demonstrated strong vision of the field by finding a receiver in the later end of the second quarter for a roughly 45-yard gain. Warren’s wideout beat his defender down the field, which Iamaleava took advantage of with a well-placed, high-arcing throw.
That play would set up a rushing touchdown for Warren, who took a 28-0 lead. An interception returned for a score extended the lead to 36 by halftime. The break marked the end of Iamaleava’s night, who was replaced by his brother, sophomore quarterback Madden Iamaleava.
While Iamaleava still has much of the regular season remaining, Saturday night in Hawaii marked a promising start to his final year of high school football. He is planning to enroll early at Tennessee to prepare for his freshman season in Knoxville. Until then, Iamaleava will be on the state championship chase with Warren.