Tennessee is ready for return on investment as Nico Iamaleava takes over

Expectations for Tennessee’s offense will always be extremely high as long as Josh Heupel is on the sidelines. The former Oklahoma offensive coordinator and UCF head coach has led the Vols to three consecutive top-20 yards per play performances and finished No. 7 overall in points per drive in 2022. Heupel’s veer-and-shoot spread tempo scheme drives this program. But a star quarterback can unlock the system.

With Hendon Hooker taking the shotgun snaps, we saw the Vols become unlocked on offense. In 2022, Heupel’s offense scored at least 40 points in four SEC games. Hooker and a good group of receivers made the Vols unstoppable. Receiver is a question mark for Heupel’s offense, but their new starting quarterback took a big financial investment.

There were multiple reports that Tennessee’s collective reached a deal with the former five-star recruit from Southern California that would pay him $8 million over three years on Rocky Top. Now Nico Iamaleava is in year two.

It’s time for that big investment to deliver.

The Vols enter the 2024 season with College Football Playoff aspirations despite facing a schedule that includes Alabama and Georgia. Tennessee can only get to that ceiling if Nico Iamaleava becomes the perfect fit for Heupel’s system that everyone predicted during the 2023 high school recruiting cycle.

Tennessee’s play-calling head coach described what made the volleyball-playing quarterback such a coveted football recruit.

“Was highly recruited because of his athletic traits. He’s got the ability to throw the football sideline to sideline, vertically down the football field, extremely accurate, loose, quick-triggered arm. He’s got the ability to extend and make plays with his feet,” Huepel told reporters in the main room at SEC Media Days on Tuesday. “As a runner, evading and making a play down the field.”

In Nico Iamaleava’s only start, he showed some of that potential facing a top-10 Iowa defense in the Citrus Bowl. The young quarterback completed 12 of 19 passes for 151 yards while chipping in 51 non-sack rush yards and three touchdowns. Iamaleava’s legs will allow the Vols to keep the QB run element that both Hooker and Joe Milton provided in Knoxville.

We all know the floor is high with a Heupel offense at Tennessee. Even with Milton’s accuracy issues and a drop-off at wideout, Tennessee finished last year ranked No. 29 in success rate and consistently moved the football despite not creating a high volume amount of explosive plays. But this can be a program that can get to 10 wins and the playoffs consistently when the offense is humming. Tennessee now must see their big NIL investment produce.

The Vols are strong on both sides of the line of scrimmage but will be young at multiple positions. Quarterback is included. Nico Iamaleava will have a lot on his shoulders as a true sophomore this fall. The former blue-chip recruitment is one of the most important individuals in the SEC this season. Now he needs to perform.

“I’m really excited to see his growth and development as a young quarterback throughout the course of this ’24 journey,” Heupel said about his new quarterback.