Nico Iamaleava trying 'to prove it and work for it every single day'
Nico Iamaleava’s arrival at Tennessee in December couldn’t have come with much more attention. The five-star freshman quarterback was the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class and joining a 10-win football team preparing for the Orange Bowl against Clemson.
“He was on the scout team during bowl prep,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said this week during an appearance on Josh & Swain. “Everybody on the defensive side, coaches and players, got a chance to see what he looked like. He was extremely impressive during that.
Iamaleava had long been the headliner in Tennessee’s 2023 recruiting class. The five-star from California. The No. 1 player. The No. 1 quarterback. The No. 1 piece in the future of the Vols.
Nico Iamaleava handled ‘fanfare’ in ‘a really good way’
But at Tennessee, he’s just tried to be himself and show that he belongs. Nothing more, nothing less.
“Nico has come in and just tried to prove it and work for it every single day,” Heupel said. “ …He’s handled himself in a very mature way. It’s really hard to be 18 years old and on a college campus with the type of fanfare he has. He’s handled it in a really good way.”
After Hendon Hooker starred the last two seasons in Heupel’s highly productive offense, it’s now redshirt senior Joe Milton III’s turn, allowing Iamaleava to step in as the backup during his highly anticipated debut season at Tennessee.
So far he’s passed every test, both on the field and off.
“His teammates absolutely love him,” Heupel said. “He’s continued to grow throughout the course of spring ball in his understanding of what we’re doing. Day 1, the game was moving really fast for him. It continues to slow down every single day.
“He’s been resilient. And after a bad play, or maybe not his best practice, responding the right way and coming back the next play or the next day.”
Josh Heupel on Nico Iamaleava: ‘I love his energy and effort’
Iamaleava went 8-for-16 passing for 112 yards in Tennessee’s Orange & White Game in his unofficial debut with the Vols at Neyland Stadium in April, rotating possessions with Milton and third-string quarterback Gaston Moore.
Moving forward, everything is about growth. Growing his knowledge and execution of Tennessee’s unique offense. Growing within the program that he’ll one day lead.
“I love his energy and his effort in trying to really be a man that really masters his craft at the quarterback position,” Heupel said. “And (he’s) someone that’s going to have to grow into leadership roles as we go into this summer and the fall for sure, as he becomes more entrenched and understanding in what we’re doing.”
