ESPN gives Tennessee Vols QB Nico Iamaleava a massive compliment
ESPN handed Tennessee Vols true freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava a massive compliment this week. The national sports media outlet broke down college football's best true freshmen at 39 different skills. Iamaleava made ESPN's list as the true freshmen with the best "arm talent". From ESPN: Iamaleava is arguably the most gifted passer in this class […]
ESPN handed Tennessee Vols true freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava a massive compliment this week.
The national sports media outlet broke down college football's best true freshmen at 39 different skills.
Iamaleava made ESPN's list as the true freshmen with the best "arm talent".
From ESPN: Iamaleava is arguably the most gifted passer in this class with the highest upside. He's still developing his large frame (6-foot-6, 205 pounds) and refining some mechanics, but the arm talent is obvious. He fires the ball with snap and has the velocity to drive it downfield through small windows. Iamaleava had a successful spring with eye-popping throws but still will enter the season behind Joe Milton III.
The comment that jumps out of that paragraph is "He fires the ball with snap and has the velocity to drive it downfield through small windows".
That has to be exciting for Vols fans to read.
Tennessee may not have a lot of depth at quarterback right now — Iamaleava and redshirt senior Joe Milton are the only two viable SEC-caliber starting options on the roster — but they might have the most talented quarterback room in the nation.
Milton has the talent to be a top 10 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. And Iamaleava could be even better. It's a good situation for the Vols to be in as they already know who their starting quarterback will be for the next couple of years after Milton leaves.
Tennessee fans are hoping they won't see Iamaleava take meaningful snaps in 2023 — that would likely mean that Milton is either injured or ineffective. But there's no doubt that Iamaleava will see some "garbage time" action this fall. And if Nico performs well during mop-up duty, it will only make the hype surrounding the young quarterback increase moving forward.
Joe Milton ends one concern that Tennessee Vols fans might have about the 2023 season
UT QB Joe Milton eliminated one concern that Tennessee Vols fans might have about the 2023 season
Featured image via Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
