WATCH: 5-star QB Nico Iamaleava is a star on the volleyball court, too
It’s not unheard for elite football players to be standouts in other sports. Think Patrick Mahomes in baseball or Antonio Gates playing basketball. But Nico Iamaleava might be the first elite quarterback prospect to be also be a star on the volleyball court.
He received scholarship offers in volleyball long before he picked up his first offer in football, and he is ranked by some volleyball analysts as the top high school volleyball prospect in the country. His older brother, Matt, was a high school All-American in volleyball at Long Beach (Calif.) Poly and is now at Long Beach State. And Nico himself played on the varsity team as a freshman at Poly, one of top volleyball programs in the country.
The dual-sport star released a highlight tape from his volleyball season, and it might be even more impressive than what he does on the gridiron.
Programs are in hot pursuit of Nico Iamaleava
When it comes to football, Iamaleava is the No. 4 overall prospect and No. 3 quarterback in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He has amassed offers from across the country, including Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee, UCLA, Miami and more.
The Ducks (36.3%) are the slight favorite to land him, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). Alabama is listed second at 21.8%, Georgia is third at 16.9%, followed by Tennessee at 12.1% and UCLA at 7.3%.
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Iamaleava said last week he was eyeing a spring decision. He also said he’s locked in spring visits to Tennessee on March 5 and Georgia on March 12.
“I am working to get things down to a top eight by the end of February, then a top-four or five by end of March, and I am probably going to commit in April,” Iamaleava told On3’s Chad Simmons last week. “At the latest, I will commit in May. I know I am getting closer, and I want to be committed early in the spring.”
Wherever he ends likely has a club volleyball team, but here’s to guessing the football staff will be doing whatever they can to keep him focused on the gridiron.