Alright, Vols fans, let’s set the scene. The year was 2024, and Tennessee finally cracked the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. Big moment, right? Josh Heupel had the squad rolling with a historic 10-3 season, only to run into mighty Ohio State. The Vols got smacked 42-17 in Columbus, but let’s be real—that same Buckeyes team hoisted the trophy. So, Tennessee gets a pass. But here’s where things get spicy: the hype surrounding redshirt freshman QB Nico Iamaleava. That’s taking a wild turn, and not everyone’s sold on him making the leap in 2025. SEC insiders just weighed in, and let’s just say, not all of it is sunshine and Rocky Top chants.
February 6th rolls around, and suddenly, Nico Iamaleava’s catching strays left and right. His 2024 season was a rollercoaster—Yes, the same ‘flashes of brilliance’ mixed with some head-scratching throws. The numbers? Low-key solid for a freshman on the paper: 2,616 passing yards, 19 touchdowns. But here’s the thing—eight of those TDs came in just two games against Vanderbilt and UTEP, two teams with defenses softer than a Waffle House biscuit. That stat padding isn’t sitting right with everyone.
247Sports’ National Recruiting Analyst Cooper Petagna put it bluntly: “It comes down to—can your quarterback make this sizeable step to where you’re looking at that game against Ohio State and do you trust Nico Iamaleava to win a playoff game? At this point, I don’t know the answer to that question. Right now, if I had to bet on it, it’s a NO.” Ain’t gonna lie. That’s a cold dose of reality.
Let’s visit his only playoff game against the Buckeyes. Nico Iamaleava absolutely cooked nothing against the Buckeyes. The lanky QB went 14/31 and threw barely over 100 yards. Yes, you would think ‘But, Nico Iamaleava had 2 rushing tuddies.’ Nico Iamaleava had 20 rushing attempts and rushed for 44 yards, clearly a sign of stat pad, if you think. There were moments where Nico’s deep ball looked suspect, missing wide-open guys in plays that should’ve been six. That kind of inconsistency ain’t gonna fly when you’re trying to run with the big dogs in the SEC.
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