Nico Iamaleava shares changes in body weight since arriving at Tennessee

As Nico Iamaleava prepares to make the leap from high school football to college, he’ll have to bulk up. In fact, just since spring practice got started at Tennessee, the highly touted recruit is already seeing changes in his weight.

Iamaleava said he’s already put on more than 10 pounds since spring ball started. It’s part of the process of getting ready for SEC football as he gets ready to compete with Joe Milton for the starting job as a freshman.

“I weighed in when I first got here, like 198 [pounds],” Iamaleava told reporters. “Then, when I most recently weighed myself before we left, I weighed in at 210. Just trying to maintain that weight even with spring ball going. I lose weight a lot [easier] just because we’re running around, so just maintaining that weight, getting the right stuff in my body, keeping the right calories and all that stuff.”

As far as a target weight the coaching staff wants him to reach, Iamaleava said he’s not too far away from that mark.

“They told me 215, 220 by the first game,” he said. “I’m still progressing there. I’ll get there.”

Iamaleava is arriving on Rocky Top with plenty of hype. He was a five-star recruit and the No. 6 overall player in the country from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3’s own evaluators are even higher on him, ranking him as the No. 1 recruit in the nation.

Now that spring ball is underway, the competition with Milton is fast approaching. With Hendon Hooker heading to the 2023 NFL Draft, Tennessee will have a new face under center — and, as On3 and VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs wrote — the Vols aren’t “coddling” Iamaleava as he gets settled. After all, Milton has experience starting in Hooker’s place and at Michigan before transferring to Tennessee. In addition, the Volunteers hae thrown multiple defensive looks at the young quarterback already.

That said, he’s ready for whatever happens.

“I’m always looking to get better and be ready for this year,” Iamaleava said. “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.”

Tennessee’s spring game is scheduled for April 15.