WATCH: Josh Heupel at game of Tennessee 5-star QB commit Nico Iamaleava
Long Beach (Calif.) Warren five-star quarterback and Tennessee commit Nico Iamaleava got off to a strong start Friday night against Lakewood (Calif.) Mayfair by throwing three early touchdowns. There to spectate those scores were Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle.
Heupel and Halzle landed a commitment from Iamaleava last March. The California native was back in Knoxville last week for an unofficial visit.
Iamaleava, a 6-foot-5.5, 195 pound signal-caller, is the No. 7 overall prospect and No. 4 quarterback in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 2 player in California.
On3 rates him higher than other recruiting services. Per the 2023 On300, Iamaleava is the No. 2 overall prospect, No. 2 quarterback and No. 1 player in California.
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He is the highest-rated prospect in the Volunteers’ 2023 recruiting class. The group ranks No. 13 in the 2023 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 5 in the SEC.
Iamaleava has an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.1M. 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.
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.”