Nico Iamaleava doesn't have to change his approach as Tennessee's starter in 2024
Nico Iamaleava isn’t changing his approach as Tennessee’s starting quarterback this season. The sophomore and former five-star prospect doesn’t have too. That’s exactly how he approached every day of his freshman season.
“I think Joe (Milton) did a great job just helping me and visualize what that looks like,” Iamaleava said this week, “and I’ve carried it over to this year.”
There are some physical changes. Iamaleava said he’s up to 215 pounds after showing up on Tennessee’s campus in December 2022 weighing closer to 190. He’s always working on his leadership, too, after taking over for Milton as the lead man in Tennessee’s quarterback room.
“Still being myself,” Iamaleava said. “I’ve been trying to work on being more vocal for the guys, speaking out when I need to. But I think just putting myself out there, hanging out with the guys and you know, just making sure we’re getting to them, getting our business done.
“But yeah, I think I’m just going more on, I’d say that the vocal aspect of it just being louder for the guys is what I’ve really been trying to work on.”
Nico Iamaleava in the Citrus Bowl: 178 total yards, 4 touchdowns
Iamaleava as Tennessee’s starting quarterback got a jump start in the 35-0 win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day in January.
He was 12-for-19 passing for 151 yards and a touchdown and rushed 15 times for 27 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Early parts of the offseason included Iamaleava breaking down the Citrus Bowl film and seeing where he can be better.
“I missed a couple shot plays out there that I could’ve seen better,” Iamaleava said. “And yeah, I really just evaluated myself. I think a lot of things I could’ve done better out there and we probably could have scored a couple more points that I missed.
“But yeah, I’ve definitely taken that into this year and just the way I I prepare and everything.”
‘I know what I came here to do and it’s my job to get that done’
Iamaleava said he took a week off after the Citrus Bowl before turning the page to 2024, doing his best to ignore the praise that followed his debut as Tennessee’s starter.
“I know what I came here to do,” he said, “and it’s my job to get that done.”
Josh Heupel on Wednesday after Tennessee’s first scrimmage of spring practice described Iamaleava as a quarterback that is getting the job done.
“He’s been really good just in practices, the lead up to it,” Heupel said. “Being intentional, having conversations, making sure he’s getting on the same page with the skilled guys, but also with the offensive line. Growing and bringing energy to that group before drives and during the course of it.
“I thought today, just the way he functioned and operated, (he) controlled the huddle. We went into a four-minute situation at the end, understanding the play clock, game clock, all of that just functioned and operated extremely maturely today.”
