Five-star freshman QB Nico Iamaleava makes his Tennessee football debut vs. Virginia
Tennessee football fans didn’t have to wait long to see quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The five-star freshman entered Saturday’s game against Virginia with 12:46 left in the fourth quarter, with the Vols leading 42-10.
Joe Milton III completed 21 of 30 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns before handing the keys over to Iamaleava. The Vols rushed for 247 yards and four touchdowns on 44 attempts as a team while building the 42-10 lead.
Milton ran for two touchdowns, rushing nine times for 33 yards on the day. He threw an 11-yard touchdown to tight end Jacob Warren early in the fourth quarter and opened the scoring with a five-yard touchdown to Dylan Sampson early in the first quarter.
Iamaleava headlined Tennessee’s 2023 recruiting class, signing with the Vols as the No. 1 overall player in the On3 ratings, committing to the Vols out of Long Beach, Calif.
His first career drive ended in the end zone, putting the Vols up 49-10 against Virginia after Dylan Sampson scored his fourth touchdown — three rushing, one receiving — on the day. Iamaleava completed 1 of 2 pass attempts on the drive for seven yards.
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Iamaleava’s completion went to Kaleb Webb for six yards. He targeted Webb in the end zone on the previous play, but Webb couldn’t come down with the catch.
“That guy is mature beyond his years,” Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said last month. “He didn’t come in like a true freshman. He came in, one, wanting to learn, not thinking like I know I’m a highly graded recruit, I got it figured out. He came in understanding I want learn, I need to know.
“And then the way that guy just has his calmness on the field, just his demeanor. I think the guys believe in him as well, that if he’s called upon to do a job like that, he will step in and compete at a high level, a high level. So we have a ton of confidence in that guy.”
