ESPN names biggest Tennessee Vols overreaction after the completion of spring practice
With spring practice now behind us, ESPN took a look this week at the biggest "spring overreaction" for each top 25 college football program. ESPN thinks the biggest overreaction about the Tennessee Vols is the early Heisman hype surrounding redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava. From ESPN: Overreaction: Nico Iamaleava for Heisman.Anybody who has seen Iamaleava […]
With spring practice now behind us, ESPN took a look this week at the biggest "spring overreaction" for each top 25 college football program.
ESPN thinks the biggest overreaction about the Tennessee Vols is the early Heisman hype surrounding redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
From ESPN: Overreaction: Nico Iamaleava for Heisman.
Anybody who has seen Iamaleava throw the ball and deftly work his way around the pocket knows what an immense talent Tennessee's first-year starting quarterback is. But there's such a thing as too much hype (and too many expectations) too soon. His performance in the win over Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl was promising, but bowl games aren't always a great indicator of what comes next.
The Vols need to play well around Iamaleava this season, both in the way the offensive line protects him and the way his skill players make plays. Iamaleava is well-liked in the locker room and has shown no entitlement despite all the attention he's received. But now comes the real challenge — performing consistently week in and week out against the grind of an SEC schedule. Iamaleava also needs to bulk up. Unlike his arm talent, his durability could be a question.
I'm not sure this is really an overreaction.
Now, that's not to say that I think Iamaleava is the favorite to win the Heisman or that he's even in the conversation — it's far too early to know how the 2024 Heisman race will look.
But the fact that Iamaleava, the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class (per On3), is receiving Heisman hype as a second year player isn't exactly shocking. That's pretty much a standard take for a quarterback that was a highly-rated recruit.
If Iamaleava performs as expected — and as long as Tennessee plays well as a program — then it's certainly reasonable to suggest that the California native could be in the Heisman conversation. And really, isn't that the expectation for every quarterback that was rated as a five-star recruit?
