The Tennessee Volunteers football team is gearing up to highlight a standout quarterback in 2024 with Nico Iamaleva taking the lead. Last season, Tennessee concluded with a 9-4 overall record and a 4-4 record in conference play.
This season, the offense is set to showcase its star quarterback, Iamaleava, who served as the backup last year. Now stepping into the starting role, he has the opportunity to make a significant impact. Iamaleava gained some experience during the 2023 season, getting a few snaps for the Volunteers.
He completed 62.2% of his passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns. Nico Iamaleava received playtime during the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes because quarterback Joe Milton wanted to skip the bowl game and focus on the NFL Draft instead. The Tennessee Volunteers won that game over Iowa by a final score of 35-0.
As a college recruit, he was the fourth-ranked quarterback in the class of 2023 and was the 24th-ranked prospect overall on the ESPN 300. It was the highest recruit that head coach Josh Heupel has received during his coaching tenure with Tennessee.
Iamaleava is focusing on getting ready for his sophomore season with the Volunteers, but there are already those, like Shane Hallam from Draft Countdown, who are hyping him up as a potential number-one pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. With two years to go, much can change between now and then.
