Josh Heupel explains how he became so fluent at teaching quarterbacks

Tennessee has had some remarkable success at quarterback through coach Josh Heupel‘s first three years with the program, and the Volunteers will be looking to keep that rolling as mega-talented second-year player Nico Iamaleava becomes the starter in 2024.

If there’s one thing you can count on out of the Volunteers, it’s probably good quarterback play.

Heupel has had success with quarterbacks just about everywhere he has gone, after once becoming the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2000 at Oklahoma.

“It does start with just me playing the position, understanding what it looks like, feels like, inside of the pocket what’s going on with all the bodies moving around you, how to best teach those guys as they grow during the offseason to put themselves in the best position to be their best when you get to the field,” Josh Heupel said. “Understanding the ebbs and flows during the course of a practice, the game, how you communicate with them to be their best.”

Whatever communication he has done, it has definitely worked out for Tennessee.

Quarterback Hendon Hooker turned in two excellent seasons as Heupel took over in Knoxville, allowing the program to build some major momentum. The Volunteers reached the Orange Bowl at the end of the 2022 season as Hooker finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Hooker threw for 3,135 yards passing, 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions in 2022. He also ran for 430 yards and five scores.

That type of production can be duplicated if Heupel is able to get through to his signal-callers the same way he did with Hooker. Hooker, though, was a very cerebral player.

Heupel needs to be able to recognize where the strengths are for his new quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, and build to that.

“Then our offensive staff doing a great job of taking the player, what can he do best, what are his strengths?” Josh Heupel said. “Continuing to improve upon the areas we need him to grow in but ultimately putting those guys in the position to be successful when we get to the fall.”

Iamaleava was one of the highest-rated quarterback recruits in the 2023 class. He checked in as the No. 6 overall prospect in the country and the No. 3 quarterback in the class, as well as the top overall player from the state of California.