National media outlet gives Tennessee Vols QB Nico Iamaleava some respect preseason SEC QB rankings
Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a rising redshirt freshman, has an extremely high ceiling as a player, but he also has a lot to prove. Iamaleava showed a lot of promise in his one start for the Vols as a true freshman in 2023 — a 35-0 thrashing of Iowa in the Citrus Bowl — […]
Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a rising redshirt freshman, has an extremely high ceiling as a player, but he also has a lot to prove.
Iamaleava showed a lot of promise in his one start for the Vols as a true freshman in 2023 — a 35-0 thrashing of Iowa in the Citrus Bowl — but it was just one start. The former five-star recruit has to prove that he can be an elite playmaker for the Vols.
Athlon Sports must feel pretty confident in Iamaleava's ability to play a high level on Saturdays in the SEC. They ranked Iamaleava as their No. 5 quarterback in the SEC ahead of the 2024 season, just in front of names like Missouri's Brady Cook and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier.
From Athlon Sports: Iamaleava – a five-star recruit in the '23 signing class – is ready for primetime as Tennessee's No. 1 quarterback. The California native was impressive in limited action last year, which included a start in the Citrus Bowl against a standout Iowa defense. Iamaleava connected on 12 of 19 throws for 151 yards and a score and added three more on the ground.
The Vols will go as Nico goes in 2024. If he's as advertised and Tennessee's roster can stay healthy (for the most part), then the Vols absolutely have a legitimate chance to reach the 12-team playoff next winter.
