Tennessee Volunteer Football will be taking on a completely new challenge before the season even ends – to break in the No. 2 overall prospect in the class of 2023, Nico Lamaleava. Not only will that be a challenge in on of itself, but it’ll be against one of college football’s most dominant defenses in the Iowa Hawkeyes.
With incumbent starter Joe Milton deciding to prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft, Iamaleava will be thrown into the fire.
With Milton starting, the Volunteers managed to go 8-4 in college football’s most difficult conference.
Tennessee experienced a bit of a talent departure offensively after stud receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedrick Tillman left for the NFL, in addition to stalwart tackle Darnell Wright. Even with those losses, they still managed to put together a solid offensive squad, with a 1,000-yard rusher in Jaylen Wright plus a future NFL receiver in Squirrel White. Both of which will be a significant crutch to the young quarterback.
In four limited appearances this season, Iamaleava completed 16 of 26 passes for 163 yards with a touchdown. His first start will pave the path for one of the highest recruits in program history. The young quarterback was listed as a 5-star prospect according to 247Sports and was given a prospect grade of 100.
Standing at 6’5 and a slim 206 pounds, he has a slight parallel to Trevor Lawrence, a similarly touted recruit with the same body type.
247Sports’ National Recruiting Analyst George Biggins had this to say about Iamaleava.
“Iamaleava just continues to get better and his upside is as high as anyone in the ’23 class. He has an athletic 6-5 frame and is not just a talented quarterback but a gifted volleyball player as well. He’s a natural leader with a high competitive level and a great off-the-field work ethic. There are zero character concerns with him and he’s a future captain who other players gravitate towards. There is not a throw on the field he can’t make, he’s comfortable throwing off-platform or being creative when he needs to be and combined with his rapidly improving football IQ and toughness, he has a chance to be a very special player at the next level and beyond…”
It’s high praise for one of the most talented quarterback recruits in recent Tennessee history
He’ll have his work cut out for him as he faces a Hawkeyes defense that only lets up 13.2 points per game. Their defensive coordinator Phil Parker won the Broyles Award for College Football’s Top Assistant this past season. It’ll be a true test for the guy who’s been viewed as the successor and leader of the Volunteer program for the next two to three years.