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5-star QB Nico Iamaleava visiting Tennessee for the 2nd time this season

PeterWarrenPhoto2by:Peter Warren•11/26/21•

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There are some talented quarterbacks, like Nico Iamaleava, in the Class of 2023. On3 looks at the top 10 quarterbacks in the Class of 2023 and where things stand in their recruitment. (Chad Simmons/On3)

Downey (Calif.) Warren five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava will spend his post-Thanksgiving Saturday in Knoxville, Tennessee, watching Tennessee take on Vanderbilt.

It will be Iamaleava’s second visit to Neyland Stadium this fall. He was at the Vols’ game against Ole Miss on Oct. 16.

That game featured a rambunctious Tennessee crowd that, among other things, threw a golf ball at Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin. The poor display resulted in the SEC fining the university $250,000.

Iamaleava has also gone on visits to Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, UCLA and USC this season.

Iamaleava told Joseph Hastings of Clemson Sports that he is interested by the idea of playing in the SEC.

“It’s very appealing,” Iamaleava said. “The fans there, every SEC game is packed. It doesn’t matter who they’re playing; the fans always bring it. I love those type of environments and playing in those environments.”

Nico Iamaleava is one of the best 2023 prospects in the nation.

The On3 Consensus – a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies – has Nico Iamaleava as the No. 10 overall player in the country and No. 2 player in California.

Among quarterbacks, he is behind only Arch Manning of New Orleans Isidore Newman and Malachi Nelson of Los Alamitos (Calif.).

The three five-star gunslingers make up a remarkable quarterback class that could be one of the best in recent memory.

“Nicholaus Iamaleava is one of the more physically talented signal callers in the 2023 cycle,” On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power said “I had a chance to see him throw in person at Clemson’s camp back in June. He’s a tall, fluid athlete with a strong arm. Several top 2023 quarterbacks threw at that camp, including Arch Manning. I thought Iamaleava had the best arm strength and velocity on his throws of everyone there.”