Tennessee’s new starting quarterback didn’t mince any words about his intentions for this season. Nico Iamaleava is not out to just get his feet wet this season. He’s out to win and excel.
“Year Two is something I’ve envisioned since coming here,” the redshirt freshman said during a media interview session on Tuesday to signal the beginning fall camp. “Year two is going to be my year. Go time for me and I’m ready.”
That doesn’t sound like the sometimes soft-spoken Iamaleava that has garnered national attention, but also has been asked to engage more with his teammates by his coaches. Now, Iamaleava has a unique task. He has to convince his teammates that he’s their unquestioned leader. Just like sitting the bench last season, Iamaleava has never had to remind anyone that he was his team’s captain.
“Nah, I’ve never done that,” Iamaleava said of being second string in 2023 to former Tennessee starting quarterback Joe Milton. “That was my first time doing that.”
Iamaleava said sitting behind Milton wasn’t difficult and that Milton was a “great guy,” but there had to be a boiling inside of Iamaleava when the Vols’ offense struggled. Still, he’s willing to admit now that he still had plenty to learn last fall, which was to get an overall feel for Tennessee coach Josh Heupel’s offense.
“I think that’s definitely somewhere where I progressed, why we do certain things, why we motion, why tempo is important and things like that,” Iamaleava said. “I think I definitely I grew up in that during this offseason.”
Iamaleava also said he has learned how to lead the Vols, which have benefitted from two very popular leaders at quarterback with Milton and former Tennessee signal-caller Hendon Hooker.
“Leading these guys ain’t easy,” Iamaleava said. “Learning how to lead these guys, that’s definitely something I learned from them.”
There were times in which some wanted Iamaleava to take over for Milton last season. If Iamaleava felt that way, he wasn’t willing to admit as much.
“I think like I’ve got more of a great feel for the offense,” he said. “The bowl game, a lot of it was playing with instincts. I feel like I have a better feel for it now going into game weeks.”
Year No. 2. Here we go. It’s go time.
