Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker praises 5-star commit Nico Iamaleava
The commitment of five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava to Tennessee was one of the biggest storylines of the year in college football. The No. 4 prospect in the On3 Consensus was the highest-ranked high school player to commit to the Volunteers since Eric Berry in 2007.
Iamaleava’s infectious personality and undeniable talent have made him a major point of attraction for other recruits as well. But the blue-chip passer has also made an impression on current Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, who spoke to reporters about their relationship on Friday at the Manning Passing Academy.
“Nico and his family, interacting with his family is great,” Hooker said “They bring nothing but great energy and great vibes. They just want to come in and get better and work on their craft. Him and Madden. I’m excited to see Madden, he can throw it too. Their dad does a great job with him. They’re consistently on the move, playing ball and that’s what it’s about.”
As for his scouting report of the elite signal-caller, Hooker had nothing but praise.
“Electric. Electric. He’s got a whippy arm. His size is ridiculous, what 6-6, 190?” Hooker added. “But he’s got a great frame to build on. I saw a little clip the other day of him at 7-on-7, somebody rushed the quarterback and he hit a nice escape move, so that was cool. Then he’s got his own little swagger going. He’s got his little pajama pants, so he’s got the whole 7-on-7 world in his pajama pants, so that’s cool, too.”
Hendon Hooker believes Nico Iamaleava is an “electric” talent
The Volunteers’ wide-open offense and quarterback-friendly system has been a boon for Hooker, who completed the best season of his college career last year under Josh Heupel. And he sees the same in store for Iamaleava.
“One thing about our offense is it lets the quarterback play free. And the way Nico plays is electrifying and he’s a playmaker. So him being in that offense, it’s dangerous. So I’m excited to see him in action and all the other guys coming in.”