It’s not often that a true freshman quarterback shows up and impresses an SEC head coach in the first few practices, but it sure sounds like five-star freshman Nico Iamaleava is doing just that for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Nico Iamaleava was one of the top quarterbacks in the 2023 recruiting cycle and enrolled with the Tennessee Volunteers in January after graduating from high school early. And he’s already impressing head coach Josh Heupel.
“Extremely talented,” Heupel said on his freshman quarterback to On3’s J.D. PicKell. “As talented as anyone I have been around in my coaching career. I love his competitive nature. It’s extremely important to him. He’s handled himself very professionally from the time that he has gotten here. I say that meaning, he’s typically one of the first guys in the building. Definitely the last to leave. He’s spending as much time as anybody in our program trying to learn and master his craft.”
Heupel is encouraged by Iamaleava’s first few practices and is excited to see how he grows.
“His ability to understand his body position — coach it, teach it, and be able to take those coaching points and implement it into his game from rep to rep and day to day,” Heupel said. “Really impressed with what he has done up unto this point and feel like he’s going to continue to grow and be ready to go help us win football games.”
While Joe Milton will likely be the team’s starting quarterback to begin the season, it’s safe to say the program is excited about Iamaleava.
[On3]
