Vols QB Nico Iamaleava is already doing one very important thing ahead of spring camp
There weren't many concerns coming out of high school for five-star Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava. One concern that I heard from time to time, however, was whether or not Iamaleava's slender frame would hold up against SEC competition. Fortunately for Tennessee, it sounds like Iamaleava is already adding some "good weight" to his frame. […]
There weren't many concerns coming out of high school for five-star Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
One concern that I heard from time to time, however, was whether or not Iamaleava's slender frame would hold up against SEC competition.
Fortunately for Tennessee, it sounds like Iamaleava is already adding some "good weight" to his frame.
247Sport's Greg Biggins, who is in Hawaii covering the Polynesian Bowl (in which Iamaleava is participating), said this week that it appears Nico has already added 7-10 pounds of good weight.
"Physically he looks like he has already added about 7-10 pounds of good weight since he has been at Tennessee," wrote Biggins.
Iamaleava was listed at 195 lbs during the recruiting process. On Tennessee's official website, he's listed at 200 lbs.
The actual weight doesn't matter too much. What matters is that Biggins can visibly notice that Iamaleava is already getting bigger and stronger over the last month.
Biggins also pointed out some other positives about Nico that he's seen this week at the Polynesian Bowl.
Nico Iamaleava is the top rated recruit in this year’s event and he has not disappointed. We’ve said it multiple times but he probably has the highest ceiling of any quarterback in this year’s loaded class.
Physically he looks like he has already added about 7-10 pounds of good weight since he has been at Tennessee. He has elite arm strength, a tight release and the ball jumps out of his hand. He changes speeds well and has a natural feel for when to throw with more touch or put more heat on the ball.
He has dual-threat ability and is just as comfortable outside the pocket as he is inside of it. The game has really slowed down for him over the last year and he should be able to compete for the starting job at UT this spring.
Fans are always wise to not get too excited about recruits.
But it's hard to not be extremely encouraged by the early reports on Nico.
He's proving that he's more than deserving of being the No. 1 overall rated recruit. And it's not just because of his physical abilities, but also because of the way he carries himself. He seems like the ultimate teammate (little things like mentioning learning from UT's walk-on quarterbacks show that he has no ego).
Nico has a magnetic personality that just draws people to him, which indicates he should have no problem being a key leader for Tennessee.
Everything is there for Nico to be a Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback in college football. Now he just has to go out and perform at a high level on Saturdays. And at this point, there's little doubt that he will.
Featured image via Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
