Quote from Nico Iamaleava tells fans everything they need to know about the young Vols QB
Tennessee Vols true freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting class, didn't have a lot of "wow" moments during UT's annual Orange and White spring game this past weekend. That was mostly due to vanilla playcalling and Tennessee's top four wide receivers not playing in the game. But there were […]
Tennessee Vols true freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting class, didn't have a lot of "wow" moments during UT's annual Orange and White spring game this past weekend.
That was mostly due to vanilla playcalling and Tennessee's top four wide receivers not playing in the game.
But there were a couple of moments when Iamaleava, who should still technically be a high school student right now, showed why he was rated as a five-star recruit.
One impressive moment came when Iamaleava scrambled out of the pocket and delivered an absolutely beautiful pass to freshman tight end Ethan Davis.
The throw was perfectly placed where only Davis could catch it.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel seemed quite excited by that throw from Nico while talking to reporters after the spring game.
"You saw him make a play down the sideline — Ethan (Davis) did a great job on a scramble drill, wheeling it down the sideline," said Heupel. "A really beautiful, accurate throw by Nico. He has got the ability to get himself in great body position when he is out in space and he has got people chasing him."
After Heupel spoke to the media, Nico was asked about the throw to Davis.
And Nico immediately pointed out that the other quarterbacks on the Vols' roster are also capable of making plays on the run.
“Yeah, I think our whole quarterback room can make plays on the run," said Iamaleava. "Coach Joey (Halzle) and Coach Mitch (Militello) do a good job repping it in practice. Also when I go back home and train, we work on a lot of off-platform throws, on the run. I think those training habits help me successful today.”
Two things about that quote from Nico should be exciting for Tennessee fans.
For starters, Iamaleava couldn't be a better fit for the culture in the quarterbacks' room at Tennessee (a culture that Joe Milton and Hendon Hooker helped create). There's no ego with Nico. And he's quickly proven to be an incredible teammate that's eager to compete while being a total team player.
Secondly, the ability to make off-platform throws (like Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Bryce Young, etc) is almost a requirement these days to be an elite quarterback. Iamaleava showed he can make those throws this past weekend. And the fact that he's continuing to incorporate those throws into his training suggests that he's only going to get better at making those types of plays when things go south.
It's early, but Iamaleava is more than living up to the hype so far. He's everything Vols fans were hoping for and then some.
