I no longer think Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava can win the Heisman Trophy, but that is a really good thing for the Vols.
Heisman trophy or not, the Vols are still legitimate national championship contenders, which is far more important than any individual award. Iamaleava is still in the running for the Heisman, but that may be bait for gamblers hoping to get a good return on a largely unproven quarterback.
Iamaleava, along with Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, has decent odds, at 16-to-1 or +1600, to win the Heisman Trophy, according to Fan Duel. The redshirt freshman is still within striking distance.
Iamaleava and Gabriel are tied for fifth in Heisman Trophy odds, behind Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (+200), Miami quarterback Cameron Ward (+650), Colorado’s all-purpose star Travis Hunter (+750) and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (+1000). However, Iamaleava’s competition is not why I doubt he can win the most coveted individual award in all of sports.
I don’t think Iamaleava can win the Heisman Trophy because his team is just too good. I know. That sounds really odd, especially since lazy Heisman voters often just pick the quarterback on the best team in the nation, which may end up being Tennessee. However, these Vols are different.
Tennessee’s defense has already won two games for the Vols, against Oklahoma and North Carolina State, in which Iamaleava’s play was significant, but not needed to be Heisman like.
Tennessee doesn’t have to rely on a high-flying offense to win football games like they did in 2022. They can win with a strong running attack and great defense, which was the particularly the case in the Vols’ 25-15 win over Oklahoma. Moreover, there has to be a little voice in Tennessee coach Josh Heupel’s mind when he develops and calls plays that could put Iamaleava at risk.
With no proven elite backup on Tennessee’s roster, Iamaleava has to be somewhat protected because the Vols can’t win a national championship or, perhaps, even make the College Football Playoff if he’s on the bench. No, it wouldn’t be wise to be afraid of utilizing Iamaleava’s fantastic skillset, but there will be times this season when Heupel should be – and will be – prudent with Iamaleava. That’s tough because Iamaleava is a threat running the football even though it puts him at risk of injury every time he does so. Then, there’s the hits Iamaleava can take when dropping back to throw a pass. Tennessee’s offensive line struggled mightily to protect Iamaleava throughout the Oklahoma game. Injuries were a huge reason why.
While Tennessee coach Josh Heupel has said he expects Tennessee’s offensive line to be at full force against Arkansas on Saturday, let’s wait and see. Heupel has been overly optimistic about injuries before and, even if he’s being completely forthright, there is still a lot of tough, physical football left to be played. The odds are that the Vols won’t stay healthy on the offensive line for the remainder of the season. With little depth, that would be bad for Tennessee and eliminate Iamaleava from Heisman contention.
Now, I know what some are saying about Tennessee and the Heisman Trophy. Some believe the voters are just dead set against the Vols winning a Heisman and that the award isn’t even something to be concerned about. Well, that’s just not true. A Heisman Trophy leads to more elite, five-star quarterback prospects following in line and becoming future Heisman Trophy candidates, which means they would be elite players no matter what you think about the Heisman.
That notion should make you forget about the two Heisman Trophy travesties that treated the Vols like a dog with rabies. Yes, former Vol quarterback Peyton Manning should have won the Heisman Trophy in 1997 and former Tennessee star Johnny Majors shouldn’t have finished behind Notre Dame’s Paul Hornung in 1956. That, however, doesn’t mean any rational fan should write off the Heisman Trophy and all the positive publicity that can come with it.
While Iamaleava is still growing, his greatest Heisman Trophy competitor is on the Vols’ schedule. Iamaleava can certainly change the narrative (and my mind) if he’s able to topple Alabama and Milroe when the Vols host the Crimson Tide on Oct. 19, which leads to another challenge that Iamaleava has.
With the Vols’ schedule, there aren’t many opportunities to have “Heisman Moments” this season. Iamaleava would have to star against Alabama or Georgia to really have a shot at the Heisman. That could certainly happen, but Tennessee looks like a team that can win with its defense more comfortably than having Iamaleava lighting it up.
Iamaleava could be the most valuable player in the country. Why? He’s willing to take a back seat to an elite defense, but still plenty good enough to make elite plays on his own when the time comes. Iamaleava is one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but I just can’t see him winning the Heisman Trophy this year.
