Perhaps Nico Iamaleava isn’t good enough to jet to the NFL after three seasons like we all thought. Is that necessarily a bad thing? What if Iamaleava is more like former Vols Casey Clausen and Erik Ainge instead of former Vols Peyton Manning and Heath Shuler.
Manning could have easily left college early for the NFL but didn’t. Shuler did. Clausen and Ainge weren’t good enough to leave school early, but they were still fantastic players for the Vols. I expect Iamaleava to take a major step forward this season. Imagine how good he could be in 2026.
Some might consider that a disappointment, that Iamaleava didn’t live up to his billing. Instead, it could be a Godsend. Just ask Georgia about the need for quarterback stability. They had an above-average quarterback in Stetson Bennett who played out his eligibility and won two national championships. Would Tennessee fans take that over, let’s say, a Heisman Trophy for Iamaleava? Absolutely.
While I expected more out of Tennessee’s offense and Iamaleava last season, it’s still important to remember he was a first-year starter who ended the season seventh in the SEC in quarterback rating (145.3). That tied former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, who became the top free agent in college football when he transferred to Miami.
Let’s also keep this in mind. Iamaleava was less than 10 points in his quarterback rating to being second in the SEC behind Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, who lapped the field at 180.6. I’m certainly not making excuses for Iamaleava, but he was thrust into a pretty difficult situation, especially with two gimpy offensive tackles for the first half of the season.
It felt uncomfortable just to watch Iamaleava at times last season given his lack of protection, especially early. What do you think he felt like? Well, things should be better this season, as long as the Vols can rebuild their offensive line and be healthy when it begins.
“I really say just comfortability when I’m going out there for each game,” Iamaleava said when asked what was different about this year as opposed to 2024. “I think my preparation has to take the next step. I think just overall, just me being a player and me playing at the top of my game. I have to do a better job at that every game this year.”
I appreciate the self assessment. Iamaleava knows he has to prepare better and play better. However, I think some of that is deflecting blame from his teammates. Even during a so-so season last year, I saw enough to think Iamaleava can still be elite and find himself square on the cover of any video game next season – if he plays another season.
With Dart gone to the NFL, I have no doubt that Iamaleava can end the season as the highest-rated passer in the SEC. However, falling just short of that may be ideal. That would mean he’d be back for another season at Tennessee, which mean the Vols have much-needed stability at quarterback in a transfer portal era in which nothing is stable.
If Manning had left before his senior season, he’d have been the No. 1 draft pick and had the same NFL-caliber career he did have. However, his Tennessee Football career would have been a disappointment. He would’ve ended it with no records, no postseason awards and no championships.
Taking that into account, we’re not thinking of what Iamaleava could accomplish at Tennessee if he did stay for 2026. Manning’s senior year is the greatest single season ever by a UT player. His other seasons don’t even crack the top five for Vol quarterbacks. If Iamaleava took that leap in a year, it could be special.
