Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is considered a bust by some, not because of his play, but how much the Vols had to pay to get a middle-of-the-pack quarterback, which is what Iamaleava was last season. Those NIL payments have turned up the heat.

Iamaleava’s quarterback rating last year (145.3) is better than the two quarterbacks in recent Tennessee history that have proven championship worthy. Iamaleava, for the record, ranked seventh in the SEC last season in quarterback rating. That could be better, but it’s certainly not cause for hysteria.

No offense to former quarterbacks Joshua Dobbs, Tyler Bray or any other Vols signal caller of the modern era, but it’s unfair to compare most of them to Tennessee’s true championship contenders at quarterback. Those teams lacked the coaching and talent to bring an SEC or national title trophy back to Knoxville.

So, let’s take a look at Peyton Manning first. You might have heard of him. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the history of football. However, his first season at Tennessee was every bit as blah as Iamaleava’s season last year.

Manning was forced to play in 1994 when Jerry Colquitt suffered a season-ending injury in the Vols’ opening game that year. The situations that Manning and Iamaleava faced were very different but equally as challenging.

Manning was supposed to redshirt during his freshman season before being thrown into action. Iamaleava had a season to sit on the bench in 2024 to learn Tennessee’s offense but had to endure an inordinate amount of pressure caused by injuries on the offensive line and had far less talent than Manning had in 1994. Manning had to play just weeks after arriving on campus. Pick your poison.

Manning had one advantage over Iamaleava. He had much more talent around him when he posted a 145.2 rating in 1994, just behind Iamaleava. Yes, from a statical standpoint, Iamaleava was better than one of the best quarterbacks of all time in their first years starting, respectively.

Many wanted Manning gone after his first season and preferred former Tennessee quarterback Branndon Stewart become the Vols’ first-team quarterback. Why? Because he could run. 

Tennessee’s coaches obviously made the right call and let Stewart transfer to Texas A&M.

As for Casey Clausen, Iamaleava was much better in Year One than the “Iceman,” at least statistically. Clausen, who led the Vols to the 2001 SEC Championship Game, posted a 132 quarterback rating during his first season at Tennessee in 2002.

So are fans being too hard on Iamaleava? No doubt. 

Iamaleava is held in disdain by some, but that has nothing to do with how he actually played last season. He is overly criticized because of what he’s getting paid, not how he’s playing. Moreover, his family, who demanded more money after last season, is also making things more difficult on the young man who, by all indications, does everything right on and off the field.

My biggest concern with Iamaleava isn’t his actual play on the field, which was actually quite solid considering the injuries Tennessee had on the offensive line and playing in an offense that just could never find itself.

Set aside the money. If Iamaleava wasn’t financially independent thanks to the Vols, Tennessee fans would be pleased – not overly ecstatic – with his first full season as a starter. Worrying about the money over the performance, though, is a mistake.

When compared to some of the most successful Tennessee quarterbacks in recent memory, Iamaleava had a fantastic first year. It probably wasn’t worth over $2-million per season, but it certainly wasn’t an abject failure. In fact, I saw throws last season that make me think Iamaleava can be as good as or better than Clausen. Now, Manning is another story. One never knows how a player will develop throughout his college career so let’s not rule anything out, but Manning set the bar pretty high.

I still wouldn’t be surprised if Iamaleava ended up being an elite quarterback as long as he has a better offensive line and another year under his belt. Some more creative game-planning and play-calling wouldn’t hurt either. 

Iamaleava’s pay check shouldn’t matter to Tennessee fans. We’re just in a new age of college football with NIL and the transfer portal. However, statistics back what I’ve seen: Iamaleava can still be an elite quarterback for the Vols. No doubt.