While all of the talk around Tennessee Football has been with five-star quarterback commit George MacIntyre on Monday, the conversation will soon swing back in the direction of former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava as the season draws near.
Iamaleava has the Tennessee fanbase fired up as he prepares to take over the season starter reigns heading into his second year in the Tennessee program. The 6-foot-6 quarterback found some clean-up time during the regular season but had the spotlight in the Citrus Bowl against Iowa in the wake of Joe Milton’s opt-out decision for the NFL Draft.
While he wasn’t flawless in the game, Iamaleava proved that the future was his in a shutout 35-0 win over the then-No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes. In his first start with Tennessee, Iamaleava threw for 151 yards and one touchdown on 12-of-19 passing (63%) and added in three rushing touchdowns on the day.
“I believe he’s going to be a great dynamic player,” head coach Josh Heupel said after the game. “And I know that. I thought he handled himself really composed all day long. Subtle things, little things, breaking the huddle, communication inside of the hall, controlling the run game. His eyes went in the right place. Great to see a young guy go out and perform in that way in his first career start.”
Iamaleava’s performance in the Heupel offense was enough for analysts and experts around the country to take notice. Just four days after Iamaleava’s win in the Citrus Bowl, the Tennessee quarterback was given +1800 odds from FanDuel SportsBook in the 2024 Heisman Trophy race.
Two and a half weeks later, though, Iamaleava’s odds have risen.
According to Action Network’s Brett McMurphy on Monday, Nico Iamaleava currently has the sixth-best Heisman Trophy odds at +1500 according to FanDuel. Iamaleava’s spot ranks fourth in the SEC behind Georgia QB Carson Beck (7.5-1), Texas QB Quinn Ewers (7.5-1), and Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (12-1).
Heisman odds via @FDSportsbook:
Carson Beck 7½-1
Quinn Ewers 7½-1
Dillon Gabriel 10-1
Will Howard 12-1
Jalen Milroe 12-1
Nico lamaleava 15-1
Jackson Arnold 18-1
Jaxson Dart 18-1
Garrett Nussmeier 18-1
Noah Fifita 20-1
Riley Leonard 20-1
Cam Ward 20-1
Conner Weigman 20-1— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 22, 2024
More from RTI: Tennessee Football Recruiting Moves Into Top 10 After Landing Five-Star QB George MacIntyre
Other notable SEC players in the rankings include Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold (18-1), Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart (18-1), LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier (18-1), and Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman (20-1).
Nico Iamaleava finished the 2023 season with 314 passing yards on 28-of-45 passing, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, 71 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns.
Iamaleava and Tennessee will kick off the 2024 season on Saturday, Aug. 31, against Chattanooga in Neyland Stadium.
