National outlet gives Tennessee Vols' Nico Iamaleava high praise among an iffy ranking among top 25 quarterbacks for 2024
The Tennessee Vols have an exciting young quarterback for years to come in Nico Iamaleava. The country got to see what he could do on New Year's Day in the Vols' 35-0 route of the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Citrus Bowl. Iamaleava showcased his arm and legs with four total touchdowns for the game. So, […]
The Tennessee Vols have an exciting young quarterback for years to come in Nico Iamaleava. The country got to see what he could do on New Year's Day in the Vols' 35-0 route of the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Citrus Bowl. Iamaleava showcased his arm and legs with four total touchdowns for the game.
So, naturally, that begs a question in many people's minds: where does the Vols' young signal caller rank in the pantheon of quarterbacks across the country? The Sporting News offered their take on that by ranking the top 25 quarterbacks in the country.
Despite some strong praise, the Vols' starter came in at #17 on the list.
Looking for a next-level Heisman Trophy sleeper? If the five-star sophomore builds on an impressive showing against Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, then this is the guy. Iamaleava is a natural fit in Josh Heupel's scheme at Tennessee, and the combination of quick reads in the passing game and mobility will be a huge plus for the Volunteers. Iamaleava played in complete control against the Hawkeyes' top-10 defense – and the SEC stage should not be too much to handle as a first-year starter. – Bill Bender, The Sporting News
A next-level Heisman sleeper is pretty strong praise for a player, but it's pretty hard to deny that Iamaleava brings that level of intrigue this fall. With what he's shown with his arm and with his impressive running ability, putting that in Josh Heupel's offense is a pretty scary proposition. Add in some new receiving targets in Chris Brazzell II and Holden Staes and a new tackle in Lance Heard, and Iamaleava is even better set up for success this fall.
As such, it's curious that Iamaleava was slotted at 17. At least based on some guys ahead of him. FSU QB D.J. Uiagalelei has shown a ceiling across stints at Clemson and Oregon State of decent but with stretches of unacceptable play. Haynes King led Georgia Tech to a 7-6 record last year but had some disastrous games along the way (14-32, 203 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT in 38-23 home loss to BC; 13-31, 129 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INT in 42-21 loss to Clemson).
Perhaps they see some growing pains across a full SEC slate, and that's understandable to a degree. However, Iamaleava showed in his first game that he was up for the challenge and should only continue to improve.
We'll find out this fall if Nico was sold short here, and if the Vols can take the next step and become a playoff team in 2024 with Nico at the helm.
Vols 5-star QB commit George MacIntyre drops in updated recruiting rankings after committing to Tennessee this offseason
The top player in the state of Tennessee is trending down with one recruiting outlet
