National media outlets compares Vols QB Nico Iamaleava to NFL Pro-Bowler
On Friday, 247Sports made pro comparisons for some of the top plays in the 2023 recruiting class, including Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Iamaleava is a five-star signee that arrived at Tennessee last month. He went through bowl game practices with the Vols and traveled with the team to Miami for Tennessee's win against Clemson […]
On Friday, 247Sports made pro comparisons for some of the top plays in the 2023 recruiting class, including Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
Iamaleava is a five-star signee that arrived at Tennessee last month. He went through bowl game practices with the Vols and traveled with the team to Miami for Tennessee's win against Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
On3 rates Iamaleava as the No. 1 recruit in the 2023 recruiting class, which means not only should he have a great college career, but he should also be in line for a great NFL career.
247Sports clearly agrees because they compared Nico to Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert this week.
![Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) looks to pass during the third quarter of an NFL first round playoff football matchup Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Los Angeles Chargers on a field goal 31-30. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Jki 011423 Chargers Jags C 46](http://atozsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/15875-syndication-florida-times-union.jpg)
It’s a challenging practice trying to compare high school quarterbacks to established NFL arms, but we see some Justin Herbert in Nico Iamaleava.
Let’s first start with the frame. Iamaleava could best be described as an athletic beanpole that’s pushing 6-foot-6. Most people are familiar with the post-Oregon Herbert, but there was a time when he wasn’t 235 pounds. Yes, Herbert is much bigger than Iamaleava was at this stage, but we have seen Iamaleava’s father and think that there’s a good chance he should eventually carry 215 pounds or more.
While the measurables might not be perfect (at least not yet), the marriage between the two stems from the arm talent. Iamaleava can rip the ball to all different levels of the field with ease like few other signal callers we have seen in recent years. He also isn’t afraid to challenge tight coverage windows as he uses a quick, snappy release to generate tons of velocity, much like Herbert does in the NFL. Iamaleava is also accurate on the run and a plus athlete who can beat defenders to the sticks.
Herbert, who played college football at Oregon, has quickly become one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. If Iamaleava develops into a player at Tennessee that has a Pro-Bowl future in the NFL, then he will have lived up to the five-star hype that surrounded him during the recruiting process.
When it comes to the comparisons, Herbert is probably a good one. But ultimately, Nico is going to be Nico. And that's all the Vols want him to be.
Featured image via USA TODAY Sports-USA TODAY NETWORK
