5-star Tennessee QB commit Nico Iamaleava talks Vols, win over Alabama

Five-star Long Beach (Calif.) Warren quarterback Nico Iamaleava believed in the vision that Tennessee coach Josh Huepel sold when he committed to the Vols in March.

The second-year head coach talked about elevating the program to new heights with Iamaleava under center and bringing Tennessee football back to the top of college football. And they’re already ahead of schedule, starting this season off 6-0, earning a No. 3 national ranking and beating Alabama for the first time in 15 years.

“I think it means a lot,” Iamaleava told On3 of what this start to the season means. “That whole coaching staff preached they were going to have a great season this year, and I think Coach Huepel has changed the whole culture of this program. And it allows the top players to see us compete with teams like Alabama. I think it just gives us another opportunity for athletes to see we compete with top teams.

… I think it’s huge for the whole program and the city of Knoxville. They were going crazy after that game. A lot of guys know Coach Huepel now, and I think Tennessee was a little under the radar, so I think that win just put a lot of fans and recruits on notice.”

Nico Iamaleava believed a big season was coming for Tennessee

Coming a 7-6 season last year and some momentum heading into the offseason, there was some hope around the Volunteers’ program for the first time in a while. But it’s likely that no one expected this is where Tennessee would be six games into the season. Except for Iamaleava, he says.

“I’ve been telling everybody from the get-go. I had a feeling we were going to beat ‘Bama, and I knew we were going to be undefeated until we met ‘Bama. That was really the game where I thought we had a great chance at from the beginning, and I thought we proved a lot of people wrong and what they thought Tennessee was going to be this year.

A big part of that second-year success, he feels, is players getting to see the momentum they built last season and buying into what Heupel and has staff have been preaching.

“I think that whole coaching staff and getting everybody to buy in,” Iamaleava said. “This is their second year and obviously off to a great start, but I think it came down to getting all the players to buy into what they want to do. And the players have done a great job with that. The coaching staff changed the whole culture of that program, and I think Coach Heup, that says a lot about himself and what they’re doing there.

… He’s a fun guy, a super humble and nice guy. He’s always down to hang out with the players and the recruits’ parents. Having Coach Huepel around whenever we take trips up there is amazing, and it’s just fun the head coach of the program sitting down to talk to you and eat with you. I always enjoy my moments with Coach Heup, and I can’t wait to get out there and work.

Ready to get work in Knoxville

The No. 2 player in the On300 rankings has a little less than half of his high school season still to go, as well as what he hopes is a deep run in the California state playoffs. But he is also very excited to get to Knoxville and start working with Huepel and offensive coordinator Josh Henson.

“I look forward to getting to work with those guys. They’re doing a lot of great work with Hendon [Hooker], and he’s having a great year this year. I’m so excited; I can’t wait to get to work. I work very hard. Me and my dad and my brother have worked hard for everything we’ve gotten, and I don’t think anything has changed to where we’ve gotten to at this point. We still continue to work.”

Nico Iamaleava loves to work on his craft, but his desire to be great extends even further than that.

“I love solving puzzles, and as a quarterback, going against all types of defenses, what fronts they’re going to give, how many DBs they’re going to play with. It’s a game of art, and I love it.”

As for what he predicts for the rest of Tennessee’s current season, he isn’t shy about what he thinks his future program can do.

“I think we’ve got a shot at that national title,” he said. “We took care of a great team, and there’s one more team we have to take care of. And then we’ll see what happens from there. Georgia is really one of the big tests, and Kentucky too, and I can’t wait to see what we do and how we compete against them.”