What if Nico had left?
There seems to be much consternation in Big Orange Country lately swirling around the Vols starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. How can that be after a 10-2 regular season that led to Tennessee’s first ever appearance in the College Football Playoff in his first season as a starting college quarterback? It seems like some, possibly many, Vol fans are blaming Nico for not living up to his pre-season hype and leading the Vols even further in 2024 to a coveted SEC or national championship. Or, maybe it is a simple case of resentment for the large amount of NIL money UT is reportedly paying Nico and a perceived lack of payback on that investment.
I can only speak for myself as a Tennessee fan, and my opinion is I’m extremely glad that Nico did not transfer out and will be back this fall as the Vols’ starting quarterback. Tennessee Football can only benefit from the incredibly valuable experience Nico gained in 2024. He played in the national spotlight in huge games against the likes of Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State, and in some very hostile venues like Athens and Columbus. He showed his toughness consistently throughout the season, taking innumerable, vicious hits both in the pocket and while on the run. Iamaleava is tough as nails, a GameDay warrior. He’s also intelligent, a player that learns from his mistakes and will be a better quarterback for the Vols in 2025. He is loved and respected by his teammates. They want to play hard for him.
Is he perfect? Absolulely not. But neither was the GOAT of Tennessee quarterbacks, Peyton Mannng. Anyone remember the 88-yard pick-six Manning threw against Florida in the 1997 game, a 33-20 loss to the Gators? Manning was a senior that season. Or how about the 77-yard interception Manning threw that led to a 1-yard TD drive by Memphis in the Tigers’ 1996 21-17 upset and only win in the series against Tennessee. Manning was a junior that season. He went on to win two Super Bowls, a Super Bowl MVP and become a five-time NFL MVP along with too many accomplishments and awards to list in his Hall of Fame career. Manning is the greatest Tennessee quarterback to play the game, but he wasn’t perfect. However, he, like Nico was a warrior. Opponents could knock him down, but they couldn’t keep him down. Nico has that same GameDay DNA.
So to wrap, I hope Vol fans will try to chill about the state of the quarterback position for the Tennessee Volunteers. It’s in good hands for 2025 with Nico Iamaleava, and behind him, the Vols have outstanding but unproven talent with redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and incoming five-star freshman George MacIntyre. Oh, and to put an exclamation mark on Tennessee quarterback recruiting, the Vols have the nationally top ranked 2026 recruit, five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon, committed. If Iamaleava had transferred from Tennessee, how would we Vol fans have handled breaking in another talented but inexperienced quarterback this fall? How would his exit have impacted Brandon’s commitment? Would former 5-star receiver Mike Matthews have stayed?
My humble opinion is it would have been a really bad look for the Tennessee Football program if the Vols did not have Iamaleava this fall when they open the season in Atlanta against a tough Syracuse team who matched the Vols’ 10-3 record in 2024. Look for Iamaleava to take a significant step forward toward living up to some of the unrealistic hype that he carried into his first year as Tennessee’s starting quarterback. He’s got the talent, he’s got the toughness and he has the camaraderie with his teammates to excel this fall.
One Response
Nico needs to take a significant step forward. He too frequently overthrew wide open receivers and behind guys running slants and crossing patterns.