It was a bit odd when Tennessee made all of their quarterbacks available during media day to open preseason football practice. After all, the assembled media really only wants to speak to one.
So just how much has redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava improved since the offseason after helping the Vols manhandle Iowa in the Citrus Bowl? While Iamaleava looked great, he has admitted that he was largely playing on instincts against the Hawkeyes. Now, the first-year, full-time starter has a better grasp of the Vols’ offense. However, being accepted by a veteran team may be as important as memorizing all the plays in football. Apparently, Iamaleava has earned respect from his teammates with his worth ethic.
“It’s been a big part of how the players have responded to him,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “(He’s) a guy that came in here, wanted to earn it and went to work every single day. He’s developed great relationships with guys on his side of the ball but on the other side of the ball as well and will continue to grow as a leader.
“How he works, how he competes, coming out and earning it, his consistency in who he is every day inside of the building has been a huge part of the trust, love and belief that our players have in him.”
Then, there’s the question of what if Iamaleava were sidelined at any point in the season. While freshman Jake Merklinger is available and higher rated than Gaston Moore, the senior may be an immediate fix given his experience with Tennessee’s coaching staff, which goes back to Central Florida in 2019 when he was recruited.
“Got great trust and belief in Gaston,” Heupel said. “He has great command and understanding of what we’re doing and the ability to operate within it. I’ll be able to answer that question better at the end of training camp. Everybody inside of our program has to go learn it, earn it and take the role that they have when we get to the end of training camp.”
While that’s all good for Moore, let’s be frank. The season would be bereft of any championship hope if Iamaleava were out for any extended period of time. Certainly, it would affect the Vols’ play on the field. However, how Iamaleava leads these Vols may be as important as any tight spiral or twisting run he pulls off this season. Iamaleava has been working on being a leader since he arrived on campus in December 2022.
“I really think that’s started from day one and how he came into the building, who he is and how he interacts and develops relationships with his teammates,” Heupel said. “I think that’s really important. It’s hard to lead somebody if you don’t have a relationship with them. It’s a lot easier to have good conversations or tough conversations with somebody in a one-on-one or in a group setting when you have a relationship with them.
“I think that’s been instrumental from the very beginning. Just his growth and how he competes has been really important too. The players have great trust and confidence in him because of those things and then obviously the talent as well.”
That should certainly carry some weight. Tennessee fans have seen what happens when a team doesn’t trust its quarterback. The strongest arm in the world can’t make up for that.
