Hendon Hooker discusses Nico Iamaleava, why he thinks he will be successful

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel revamped the Volunteers’ offense in short order establishing one of the most explosive, downfield, uptempo offensive attacks in the country in the last two seasons since his arrival.

Former Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker helped pioneer and usher in that offense, showing tremendous improvement and efficiency in leading Tennesee’s offense. But now with him gone to the NFL, many expect veteran Joe Milton to take the reins of the offense followed by highly touted freshman Nico Iamaleava. And at SEC Media Days Hooker revealed his thoughts about Iamaleava based on their encounters.

“Just as Nico is as a player, as a person, he’s great to be around,” Hooker said. “He’s hungry, he’s asking questions, he’s always coming to the apartment, hanging out with Joe and picking his brains.”

Iamaleava definitely has the physical tools to be the next great Tennessee quarterback, listed at 6-foot-5.5, 190 pounds with a big arm and athleticism. He was ranked the No. 1 player in the state of California, the No. 3 quarterback in the nation, and the No. 6 overall player in the country for the 2023 class according to On3’s Industry Ranking.

There’s no question he looks the part so far, but his showing eagerness to learn from not just Milton but Hooker as well is surely a promising sign for the future in Knoxville.

“And then when I’m there, he’s doing the same with me. He always takes constructive criticism the right way. With his talent and his work ethic, it’s going to be amazing to see him and Joe this coming season on the field,” Hooker said.

Iamaleava enrolled in Tennessee early, and was actually practicing with the team as they prepared for the Orange Bowl when Hooker was still on the team as well. He couldn’t learn from watching Hooker, as he had recently suffered a season-ending injury to his knee with two games remaining in the year. But it’s clear he was still able to ask him questions and can continue to use him as a resource if needed.

Both on the field with his performance and off the field with his demeanor, Iamaleava has impressed in his short amount of time on campus at Tennessee. Many have high hopes for Milton as he enters his third season in Tennesee’s system, but it will definitely be interesting to see of the freshman is able to earn himself some playing time this upcoming season.