With two scrimmages under his belt, there’s no questioning Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
“Nico’s got really good command of what we’re doing offensively,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said after the Vols’ second scrimmage of preseason camp on Thursday. “We’ve seen that throughout this offseason, but really in his development from last fall, too. He’s got great comfort.
“There’s a lot that goes into our quarterback play from protection. It could be changing the protection. Our run game, there’s a lot of things that go into it…He’s got great command of what we’re doing.
“At the same time, everybody inside of our program’s got to continue to grow and get better. And I’m not just talking about Nico. I’m talking about everybody, right? It’s a journey. Good teams get better throughout the year. We got three practices left in what I would call our true training camp.”
It isn’t a coincidence that Heupel mentioned pass protection without even being prompted by reporters to do as such. As the Vols shuffle through a group of mostly unproven tailbacks, keeping Iamaleava upright and safe this season will be key. While the Vols have a good idea what to expect from starter Dylan Sampson, there is some serious unknown amidst the rest of Tennessee’s tailbacks, including DeSean Bishop, who has received the majority of the first-team work during the Vols’ first two scrimmages.
“I think he’s got great command, comfort in what we’re doing,” Heupel said. “He continues to get better in playing without the ball— his pass protection. We’re really confident in him in that. So he’s just continuing to take steps every day to continue to get better.”
Heupel cited Bishop, fellow running back Peyton Lewis and receivers Squirrel White and Dont’e Thornton as players that stood out in Thursday’s scrimmage. Thornton was the talk of preseason camp in 2023 before he struggled last season. Then, just as he seemed to be getting ahold of things, he suffered a season-ending injury while catching a touchdown pass against Missouri.
“Dont’e’s done a really nice job here during training camp, taking more of a load here over the last few days,” Heupel said. “I really like what we’re seeing from him and his comfort inside of what we’re doing offensively.”
Of course, the Vols will rely on their offensive line which has a frontline of experienced players, but not much depth.
“Thought they did a really nice job today,” Heupel said. “…As you’re building towards kickoff, all the guys that are going to be playing, you want to continue to sharpen those guys up and those are the guys that continue to get better.”
The Vols had better hurry. With the season-opener set for Aug. 31 against Chattanooga, there isn’t much sharpening time left.
