Florida Gators legend makes it clear how he feels about Nico Iamaleava as a quarterback and how big of a loss he is for Tennessee
Former Florida Gators wide receiver Chris Doering, who is currently an analyst for the SEC Network, made it clear this week how he feels about former Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Doering joined 1010XL’s Gators round table (along with Steve Spurrier) to give his thoughts on the upcoming season for Florida (Doering has the Gators […]
Former Florida Gators wide receiver Chris Doering, who is currently an analyst for the SEC Network, made it clear this week how he feels about former Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
Doering joined 1010XL’s Gators round table (along with Steve Spurrier) to give his thoughts on the upcoming season for Florida (Doering has the Gators going 8-4 this fall).
During the discussion, Doering pointed out that he doesn’t think Iamaleava is very good quarterback. And he thinks that swapping Iamaleava for UCLA transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar was a “neutral” move for the Vols.
“You saw it with Nico,” said Doering while discussing five-star recruits who don’t live up to the hype. “I don’t think Nico is a very good quarterback. I think that’s a neutral move for them (at Tennessee). Losing (running back) Dylan Sampson is a much bigger deal for them.”
Sampson was the SEC offensive player of the year after setting multiple school records at Tennessee last season. Losing him is definitely a big blow to the Vols’ offense — though Tennessee has always been able to effectively run the ball under Josh Heupel, so it’s not like the running game is doomed without Sampson on the roster.
As for Doering’s comments about Iamaleava, I guess we’ll find out this fall whether “trading” Iamaleava for Aguilar was a neutral move, an upgrade, or a downgrade for Tennessee. There have been all kinds of takes about the move throughout the offseason. But all that really matters are the results on the field.
The performances of Iamaleava and Aguilar in 2025 will ultimately determine which program got the better end of the deal.
Tennessee Volunteers News
Report indicates how much Joey Aguilar will earn as the Tennessee Vols’ starting quarterback
Joey Aguilar will serve as the Tennessee Vols’ starting quarterback in the program’s season-opener against the Syracuse Orange on August 30 in Atlanta. Tennessee announced on Sunday evening that Aguilar won the Vols’ starting quarterback competition, beating out redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre (VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs first reported the news). Aguilar […]
