Greg McElroy explains how Nico Iamaleava could help Tennessee 'challenge' at top of SEC

After a breakout 2022 season, expectations were high for Tennessee last year even after Hendon Hooker headed to the NFL. Joe Milton took the reins at quarterback with Nico Iamaleava waiting in the wings as the Vols had an up-and-down year en route to a 9-4 record.

Now, Iamaleava has the keys to the sports car that is Josh Heupel’s high-powered offense. He showed flashes in the bowl game last year against Iowa, and if he can continue his upward trajectory, ESPN’s Greg McElroy argued Tennessee could be a sneaky contender in the new-look SEC.

McElroy broke down how much Tennessee’s offensive numbers fell last year, going from 525.5 yards of offense per game to 448.1 yards on average. In the passing game, the Vols averaged 243.2 yards – a stark difference from the 326.1 passing yards per game in 2022. If Iamaleava can put up consistent numbers in his first year as the starter, McElroy said the chatter would increase about Tennessee’s conference title hopes.

“You could almost pin all of Tennessee’s inconsistencies on the passing game,” McElroy said on Always College Football. “So with a slightly improved passer – assuming Nico Iamaleava is – and a running game that’s going to be continued to be dynamic, and a defense that has shown to be really solid, Tennessee could definitely challenge at the top of the league. And yet, nobody really has them in that discussion right now. I think most people would have Tennessee fifth in the SEC, maybe sixth coming into the season, depending on how you want to shake things out between Texas, Bama, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss and Tennessee. Those are probably your top seven.

“Tennessee, I feel like, is way on down the list as far as the amount of coverage they’re getting this offseason, and maybe that’s good for them because they did not handle the expectations as well last year as one would have liked.”

Iamaleava arrived on Rocky Top last year as a highly touted recruit. A five-star prospect, he was the No. 6 player in the nation from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3’s evaluators were higher on him, though, ranking the Warren (Calif.) product No. 1 in the On300 rankings.

McElroy noted he might not be perfect as a freshman – that’s rare – but his skillset could make him a difference-maker for Tennessee this season and maybe get back to the level it was in 2022.

“While I think that Nico Iamaleava might have a growing pain or two, you can make a case right now his mobility, his acceleration, his ability to drive the ball down the field to lead, ability to be a little bit more accurate on some of the underneath stuff,” McElroy said. “He’s got a change-up, unlike Joe Milton, his predecessor.”

Greg McElroy: More people need to talk about Tennessee in 2024

In addition to Iamaleava at quarterback, Tennessee has a host of weapons returning in 2024. That includes second-leading rusher Dylan Sampson, who’s preparing to take on a new role, and 2023 leading receiver Squirrel White. On defense, James Pearce – On3’s No. 1 player in this year’s Top 100 Players in College Football – is the biggest returning piece.

But with so many returning pieces, McElroy said Tennessee’s situation feels similar to Georgia’s in that the Vols are getting overlooked in the national discussion. That said, they have an opportunity to make some noise if Iamaleava takes a leap.

“I look at Tennessee, and while I think Tennessee fans are bullish about a possible Playoff spot, I don’t feel like Tennessee’s really captured the nation’s attention,” McElroy said. “Kind of like what we talked about with Georgia. There isn’t really a quarterback competition, there aren’t a ton of question marks that you have on defense. They have James Pearce back. If not for Mykel Williams … you can make a case that James Pierce could be the best edge defender in the SEC, and statistically speaking last year, he was alongside Dallas Turner and a few others.

“So I think you look at the SEC right now and everyone’s talking about Alabama, Georgia to an extent. … But there’s not a whole lot of discussion about what Tennessee might ultimately be. And if their quarterback play skyrockets, they could be as dangerous a team as there is in the Southeastern Conference.”