Nico Iamaleava calls dominant Citrus Bowl win 'the start of our 2024 year'

Tennessee was one of the teams with an opt-out at the key position of quarterback, but for the Volunteers it was a chance to see what the future would look like under superstar freshman Nico Iamaleava.

Based on what Iamaleava showed in a 35-0 win over Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, the future is plenty bright.

Iamaleava expected nothing different.

“I think I’ve always had confidence in this team,” the star quarterback said. “I knew we was going to go out there and take care of business. I’m glad we came out with the win and got our seniors a ring and the bowl win, so I’m happy for that.”

Tennessee was dominant from start to finish, and while the defense deserves plenty of credit for holding Iowa scoreless and to just 173 total yards in the contest, Nico Iamaleava certainly did his part.

The Volunteers signal-caller finished the game 12-of-19 passing for 151 yards and a touchdown. He also added 15 carries for 27 yards and three touchdowns, contributing four total scores.

Iamaleava credited the Tennessee coaching staff with getting him ready to go. In fact, he credited head coach Josh Heupel, specifically, for being an example of what can happen when you listen to the coaches.

After all, Heupel was on a national championship winning team back in 2000 at Oklahoma.

What has that meant to Nico Iamaleava?

“Everything, man. Since I’ve got here I’ve gotten nothing but love from the coaching staff,” he said. “Really the culture here has changed and I’m happy to be a part of it. It’s the start of our 2024 year, so going into it I think we’ve got a good mindset.”

Iamaleava played well enough in the Citrus Bowl that he was named the game MVP, despite being a true freshman.

He is expected to be the heir apparent for the program, following Joe Milton’s departure. Milton opted out of the Citrus Bowl, paving the way for Iamaleava to make his first, most impressive, start.

Those two worked hand in hand throughout the 2023 season, putting Iamaleava in terrific position to take over. And the Volunteers fans will certainly be salivating over the potential in the offseason.

Prior to enrolling at Tennessee, Nico Iamaleava was a five-star prospect and the No. 6 overall recruit in the 2023 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He also checked in as the No. 3 quarterback and the No. 1 overall player in the state of California, hailing from Long Beach (CA) Warren.