Nico Iamaleava says ‘anything can happen’ in Tennessee quarterback battle

While age and experience make Joe Milton the favorite to become Tennessee’s Day 1 starter this upcomign season, heralded freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava is keeping an open mind about what the future might hold.

Right now, Iamaleava — On3’s top overall high school recruit in the 2023 class — is focused on being prepared for anything that lies around the bend, be it starting or backing up for Milton.

Since enrolling in the winter during bowl practice, Iamaleava’s gotten an opportunity to assimilate in the Volunteers quarterback room and start learning from Milton, much like Milton did from Hendon Hooker for two years. And though he doesn’t know when he’ll be called upon, Iamaleava wants to be ready for the moment.

“I’m always looking to get better and be ready for this year,” Iamaleava said during Tennessee’s spring practices. “It’s my job to go out there and compete and be ready when my number is called. Anything can happen this season. So really just being how Joe was to Hendon last year, really. Being prepared whenever my number’s called.”

While some Tennessee fans might want that number to be called now and make Iamaleava theDay 1 starter, Milton was sharp in replacement for Hooker at the end of 2022 and could make his case this spring. That included a 19-for-28, 251 yard and three touchdown passing performance with no interceptions against Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

Milton has all the benefits of time and reps in the Tennessee offense, and the breakneck pace at which the Volunteers play. And to his credit, Milton has taken on mentor role for Iamaleava.

“He’s very impressive. He’s intelligent,” Milton said. “He wants to understand what’s going on. He don’t want to be out there and just have his head on a swivel all day. He wants to understand what’s going on. He wants to know everything I know, so I help him out.”

Iamaleava, despite competition for the same role, sees the elder signal caller as a big brother.

“Yeah, Joe’s been great. Like a big brother to me when I first came here,” Iamaleava said. “Really just rallying all the troops around us, getting everybody to buy into what he’s trying to build and what the team’s trying to build. Yeah, Joe’s been great for me and a great big brother to me.”

According to Brent Hubbs of VolQuest, “there’s no coddling On3’s top-ranked prospect in the 2023 class” as Iamaleava has been presented with an array of defensive looks and schemes early in spring practice.

“The result has been some mistakes as you would expect in the first week of practice, but as offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said on Thursday, it’s a good thing for Iamaleava to see everything right out of the gate,” Hubbs said. “Iamaleava, who has added 10 pounds, has thrown the ball well which is not surprising based on what we saw him do during bowl practice. His biggest challenge now? According to Nico, it’s adjusting to the tempo of the offense which he said on Thursday is getting better with every practice.”

For Tennessee, it’s a great position to be in: A blue-chip freshman quarterback jockeying to learn and get on the field, with a veteran and well-versed quarterback forcing him to be better.

And, as Iamaleava said, anything can happen.