‘He’s a different player’: Josh Heupel updates development of freshman QB Nico Iamaleava
When Nico Iamaleava arrived at Tennessee in December, he went from the five-star prospect and No. 1 overall player in the 2023 On3 recruiting ranking to a backup quarterback, waiting his turn behind redshirt senior Joe Milton III.
Still, there’s no time for Iamaleava to spin his wheels in the early stages of his Tennessee football career.
“You gotta grow,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said on Thursday, after the Vols held their first scrimmage of fall camp at Neyland Stadium. “You gotta be pushed.”
The push for the 6-foot-6, 200-pound freshman in training camp is continuing to learn Tennessee’s complete offensive scheme and continue developing in the uptempo pace.
“He’s running everything, man,” Heupel told reporters. “You know, you’ve heard me say that when they finish spring ball, when they come back beginning training camp, they should be a different player. He’s a different player.”
Josh Heupel on Nico Iamaleava: ‘He doesn’t make the same mistake twice. He learns from it.’
Iamaleava arrived in Knoxville in December and went through bowl practices with the Vols, traveled with the team to Miami and was on the sideline for the 31-14 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
The difference Iamaleava has shown in preseason practices so far is command, Heupel explained.
“He’s got great command in understanding what we’re doing,” he said, “understands protections, understands how he’s gotta get us out of could be run-run checks, pass-run checks, whatever it might be. And he hasn’t been perfect, but he’s grown.”
The growth is clear from one rep to the next.
“One of the things that we talked about is not making the same mistake twice,” Heupel said. “He doesn’t make the same mistake twice. He learns from it.”
For an example, Heupel pointed to a play in Wednesday’s practice.
“As he’s going through his reading progression, tight window on the inside, throws the ball while he’s standing in the pocket,” Heupel said. “You can see him visually like, hey man, I should have got out to the next one outside. He’s intentional and has great work habits.”
‘That guy is mature beyond his years’
He has great patience, too, willing to take on the role of backup quarterback despite being Tennessee’s headliner in the 2023 recruiting class.
“That guy is mature beyond his years,” Tennessee offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Joey Halzle said last week. “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.”
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