The Nico Iamaleava era has officially begun in Knoxville after the hype has been building and building over the last nine months.
On Thursday, the former five-star quarterback prospect shared a photo of the No. 8 practice jersey that he would be wearing on the field with the Vols.
And, sure enough, photos surfaced on Twitter of quarterbacks Nico Iamaleava and Joe Milton III from the Tennessee practice on Friday morning. During spring and fall camp, the quarterbacks and running backs would start the practice with basic drills on the sideline of the indoor facility before moving outdoors. Based on those context clues, it looks like these pictures were taken early in the practice on campus on Friday.
The original source of the pictures is unknown but has surfaced on multiple Tennessee fan accounts this morning.
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The photos show starting Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III and early enrollee Nico Iamaleava going through some of the basic drills. As a five-year college football veteran and two-year Tennessee quarterback, Milton is able to pass along what he knows to the young Iamaleava.
The first picture also shows freshman quarterback Tayven Jackson back in action after missing the final five games of the season due to an injury that was suffered against UT Martin on Homecoming.
Despite entering the program in December as an early enrollee, Iamaleava will not be able to participate in an actual Tennessee football game until the start of the 2023 season. This experience on the practice field during bowl season, though, is invaluable for a young player that is likely entering a quarterback competition over the offseason.
Joe Milton III will lead Tennessee into the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl on Dec. 30 in Miami, Florida.
