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Josh Heupel gives his early impressions of Nico Iamaleava in Tennessee bowl practices

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•12/22/22•

GrantRamey

Tennessee freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava goes through a bowl practice
Tennessee freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava goes through a bowl practice

Nico Iamaleava’s learning curve has already started. And Tennessee football’s five-star freshman quarterback is already adjusting. 

“As he’s learned what it should feel like in the pocket in a few short days,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said on Wednesday, “he can already start to correct himself. He understands when something happens, why it’s happening. That’s only going to continue to heighten.”

Tennessee announced the official signing of Iamaleava on National Signing Day on Wednesday. He signed paperwork with the Vols last week, arrived in Knoxville and began taking part in bowl practices with his new team.

“I’ve gotten a chance to see him in person and on tape, too,” Heupel said Wednesday when asked of his impressions of Iamaleava. “He’s athletic, and I say that meaning that he understands his body. He can self-correct and get himself into position.”

Iamaleava, a 6-foot-5.5, 195-pounder out of Long Beach, Calif., headlined Tennessee’s 2023 recruiting class. He was ranked No. 2 overall by the On3 ratings and was the No. 2 quarterback in the class, trailing only Arch Manning. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the state of California. 

“Obviously the raw skills are there, the arm talent,” Heupel said. “And he’s an extremely athletic and explosive inside the pocket. He can make plays with his feet. In a short amount of time we’ve been able to see some of those things already.”

Nico Iamaleava ranked No. 2 overall by On3 in 2023 recruiting class

Iamaleava is one of 15 new Vols that signed with Tennessee, enrolled early and joined the team for bowl practices, as preparations continue for the December 30 Capital One Orange Bowl against Clemson at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

For the new freshmen, the experience is simply about getting a feel for their new surroundings.

“For the guys that are here right now, currently, Nico included, you’re not going to walk into the back end of the season learning an entire playbook and know what to do,” Heupel said. “You get a chance to sit in meetings. You get a chance to sit in meetings, you get a chance to go out there and do a lot of individual work. You get a chance to compete in some one-on-one situations. 

“As much as anything, I think they learn the tempo of the game. They learn what it feels like to be a college athlete. I think it creates urgency in the way they prepare when they get back to campus.”

Up Next: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Clemson, Orange Bowl, December 30, ESPN

Early enrollees have traditionally arrived in January to enroll for the spring semester. The December arrival of Tennessee’s 15 newest freshmen puts them ahead of schedule.  

“I think it speaks to the urgency that they feel they have to have,” Heupel said. “It changes the way they approach the weight room, it changes the way they prepare, understanding our playbook, the fundamentals and technique that they’re going to need to go compete at a really high level during spring ball.”

That urgency has already been felt before the end of their first week.

“First of all,” Heupel said, “you notice their athleticism and their speed, their length and their size. Particularly for the guys up front, in this class we were able to go get guys that can help compete and grow and to have an opportunity to play.”

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