Tennessee Vols QB Nico Iamaleava already standing out for a simple but important reason
The Tennessee Volunteers will begin a new and highly anticipated era on Monday afternoon against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Citrus Bowl. Freshman QB Nico Iamaleava will make his first start for the Volunteers after Joe Milton opted out of the game to begin preparations for the NFL Draft. A five-star recruit out of Downey, […]
The Tennessee Volunteers will begin a new and highly anticipated era on Monday afternoon against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Citrus Bowl. Freshman QB Nico Iamaleava will make his first start for the Volunteers after Joe Milton opted out of the game to begin preparations for the NFL Draft.
A five-star recruit out of Downey, California, Iamaleava has been a source of great intrigue for the Volunteer fanbase since his commitment to the Vols back in March 2022. His playing time so far this season has been spotty. He appeared in 4 games, completing 16 of 26 attempts for 163 yards and a touchdown.
With Milton bowing out, the spotlight is shining bright on Tennessee's most important player. However, according to two people that have been working with him very closely, the freshman hasn't looked like one as he's approached the bowl game.
It's not a tune up game for a starter. This is kid making his first start against one of the best defenses all college football. But I don't think you can go into it thinking differently. You've got to go take what's there. Whatever they're presenting to us, you got to go take advantage of it. You're going to have to push the ball down the field. You're going to have to take check downs when they present. We'll have to run the football well. Football is still football at the end of the day. We've got to block well. We've got to tackle well. We've got to catch, throw. We've got to do all that type of stuff.
"So to do all of that and then you're inserting a freshman quarterback in on top of it, where he's just got to manage the game. He's got to understand situational football, when to take the risk when to not. All of that. When to scramble. When is a throwaway a good thing. When is an incompletion a positive. All of those type of thoughts for a young quarterback is, I think, what you see young guys when they're making their first start get in trouble in sometimes. He doesn't handle himself like a young guy. So I'm really confident that I think he's prepared well. I think he's ready to go. So I'm looking forward to seeing what he's got on the first." – Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle via Tennessee athletics
According to Halzle and center Cooper Mays, Iamaleava doesn't appear to be your average freshman quarterback, but rather a player that has the aura and confidence of a player years his elder. In addition to the way he's handled himself in bowl preparations, Iamaleava's approach to learning the position during the year caught Halzle's attention.
"In his defensive recognition, he really dug into that," Halzle said. "A lot of freshman quarterbacks are just like, 'cool, teach me the plays, and I'll figure it out'. He really wanted to dive into like, 'Alright, how do I judge a defense? What am I getting as far as tips? And how do I know when I'm getting pressure? When am I hot? When am I not?' He's really dug into that. Like I said at the beginning, not like most true freshmen handle themselves. He was big into that side of it.
"And then mechanically he's just – when someone comes in as highly touted as he was, a lot of times they feel like they're finished products. He wasn't. He wanted to come in and be like, 'Alright, what do I need to do to take my physical game to the next level as well?' So he came in was completely open with tinkering with the mechanics, his lower body, all of that. And that's why I think he's made the growth that he has and that's why I think that the guys out there with him have the confidence in him that he'll go perform at a high level when he's called upon."
"He's been the guy all throughout bowl prep," Mays said. "He's done really well for himself. Like coach said, he doesn't really handle himself like a young guy. So, we've had a good few weeks here to gel and combine and give him a chance to get ready for the game. He's done a really good job and he's done the best he can with it."
Iamaleavea's praise from his center and offensive coordinator for handling prep and learning like a more seasoned player shouldn't be lost as coach speak or fluff. Against a defense as challenging and accomplished as the Iowa Hawkeyes boast, being able to avoid a disaster is key in what will likely be a game where field position and turnovers will be magnified.
So far it sounds like Iamaleava has been doing all the right things not just to get ready for the bowl game, but to learn all aspects of the position at an accelerated and mature level throughout the season.
Now Vol fans will get to see the beginning of what they hope is a memorable career from one of the most hyped Vols in many years.
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