Josh Heupel indicates redshirt plans for Tennessee freshman QB Nico Iamaleava
Josh Heupel indicated Saturday night that a redshirt is the plan for Nico Iamaleava after the five-star freshman quarterback didn’t play in No. 21 Tennessee’s 36-7 loss at Missouri last week or in Saturday’s 38-10 loss to No. 1 Georgia at Neyland Stadium.
Iamaleava has played in three games for Tennessee (7-4, 3-4 SEC) this season. NCAA rules allow redshirt candidates to play in up to four regular-season games without losing the redshirt eligibility.
The Vols host Vanderbilt on Saturday (3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, SEC Network) to close the regular-season schedule and will learn their bowl destination on December 3. Bowl games do not count against the four-game limit.
Nico Iamaleava this season: 7-14 passing, 97 yards, TD, 29 rushing yards
Heupel was asked during his postgame press conference Saturday if a redshirt was the reason Iamaleava didn’t play against Georgia.
“Well, at this point,” he said, “just because there’s only one regular-season (game left), you know, I mean there’s a lot of variables that are taking place outside on that field today. And what type of situation you want put (him in).”
The Vols were missing both starting offensive tackles, John Campbell and Gerald Mincey, to start the game. Jeremiah Crawford and Dayne Davis started in their place.
Tennessee’s Jaylen Wright ran 75 yards for a touchdown on the game’s first play, but Georgia answered with 24 unanswered points and led 31-10 early in the third quarter.
Iamaleava this season played in the 49-13 win over Virginia at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on September 2, in the 45-14 win over UTSA at Neyland Stadium on September 23 and the 59-3 win over UConn two weeks ago.
On the season he’s 7-for-14 passing for 97 yards and a touchdown. He has rushed three times for 29 yards, with a long of 25. Iamaleava threw his first career touchdown in Tennessee’s 59-3 afternoon win over UConn, a 19-yarder to tight end McCallan Castles pass in the third quarter.
Up Next: No. 21 Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Iamaleava headlined Tennessee’s 2023 recruiting class, signing with the Vols as the No. 1 overall player in the On3 ratings, committing to the Vols out of Long Beach, Calif.
Iamaleava was in the games for two drives against UConn, finishing the day 5-for-9 for 86 yards with one rush for 25 yards.
“That guy is mature beyond his years,” Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said of Iamaleava in August. “He didn’t come in like a true freshman. He came in, one, wanting to learn, not thinking like I know I’m a highly graded recruit, I got it figured out. He came in understanding I want learn, I need to know.
“And then the way that guy just has his calmness on the field, just his demeanor. I think the guys believe in him as well, that if he’s called upon to do a job like that, he will step in and compete at a high level, a high level. So we have a ton of confidence in that guy.”
