Joe Milton describes Nico Iamaleava's role in helping him in-game
Tennessee quarterbacks Joe Milton and Nico Iamaleava have built a strong bond over the past few months as the present and future signal-callers of the program. Milton has been great through the first two games of the season, and he explained Saturday how Iamaleava helps him during the game.
“I just give him a couple of keys to ID for me while I’m out there just because I can’t see everything,” Milton said. “So just having an extra set of eyes other than my coaches out there and also just he’s young. Just giving him an opportunity to see things how I see it, and just in a different way so when you he out there, it’s not confusing to him.”
Milton threw for for 228 yards and two passing touchdowns on 21-for-33 passing as the Volunteers defeated Austin Peay, 30-13.
He has not thrown an interception since his time at Michigan. He is second in the country in passes thrown without an interception at 239 with Missouri‘s Brady Cook the lone player ahead of him.
In the first week of the season, Milton was 21 of 30 for 201 yards and two touchdowns. The sixth-year quarterback has also rushed in three touchdowns through the first two weeks of the season.
Iamaleava played at the end of the Week 1 49-13 victory over Virginia, completing two of three passes for 11 yards.
The Long Beach, Calif., native was the No. 6 overall recruit and No. 3 quarterback in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
On3, however, ranked him as the top quarterback and top recruit in the 2023 On300 ranking.
Offensive coordinator Joey Halze spoke last week about getting Iamaleava some game reps and how Milton was doing a great job as a mentor.
“He was talking to him about what he sees, as soon as Joe comes out and Nico goes in, he’s not checked out just kind of doing whatever. He’s watching, talking to him about what he saw, coming off the field helping each other. And it’s what I said, the two of them are always together. Joe’s been a huge help to him, bringing him along to this point and I think that’s why you also see Nico do everything he can to help Joe when he’s the one out there on the field. Because it’s hard to see everything at that position,” Halzle said.