WATCH: 5-star QB Nico Iamaleava throws a phenomenal pass in first game of senior season
Long Beach (Calif.) Warren five-star quarterback and Tennessee commit Nico Iamaleava opened his senior season on Saturday night against Kamehameha Kapalama (Hi.). The 6-foot-5.5, 195 pound signal-caller quickly showcased the skills that made him one of the country’s top recruits.
Facing a fourth-and-long, Iamaleava sent a high-arcing pass down the right sideline to his receiver, who hauled it in and advanced into the red zone.
Shortly after, the five-star connected with a Warren wideout for his second touchdown of the day.
The Bears eventually built a 36-0 lead in the second quarter behind two Iamaleava scores, a rushing touchdown, a kickoff return touchdown and a pick-six. The Tennessee commit’s first touchdown of his senior season came in the opening quarter.
Iamaleava is one of the nation’s top 2023 prospects
Iamaleava is the No. 10 overall prospect and the No. 4 quarterback in the 2023 On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 rates him even higher as the No. 2 overall prospect and No. 2 quarterback in the 2023 On300.
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He is the leader of the Volunteers’ 2023 recruiting class, which is ranked No. 13 in the 2023 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 5 in the SEC. Per the On300, the only player ranked ahead of Iamaleava is New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman Five-Star Plus+ quarterback and Texas commit Arch Manning.
The five-star didn’t appear at the Elite 11 due to a high school volleyball tournament. However, he was named the MVP of the Overtime’s OT7 seven-on-seven league.
“Nico Iamaleava looked like the clear top quarterback – and perhaps overall prospect – over the course of the weekend at OT7,” On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power wrote. “The Tennessee commit missed the action on Thursday, but was a standout performer over the tournament’s final three days. Iamaleava looked like a natural in the 7-on-7 setting. His physical gifts are well-documented, but were still palpable when placed on the same field with other blue-chip prospects.”
Nico Iamaleava On3 Scouting Summary
The following is the On3 Scouting Summary for Nico Iamaleava:
“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.”
Iamaleava has an On3 NIL Valuation of $1M. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.