This player could make the Vols one of the best in the SEC in 2024.
Even at this halfway in June, college football seems a long way off, yet it also feels like it will arrive soon. Teams in the sport, including Tennessee football, are getting more and more focused before kickoffs with every day that goes by.
In 2024, the Volunteers appear to be a fascinating group. Tennessee saw a slight regression in 2023 following the greatest season in Knoxville in many years in 2022, when the squad was once again named No. 1 in the nation. Following an 11-1 season, the Vols entered the previous season with hype and questions around the departure of veteran quarterback Hendon Hooker and several excellent receivers.
Michigan transfer quarterback Joe Milton was not the answer everyone had hoped for after Hooker left, while season-ending injuries to receivers like Bru McCoy put a further damper on the passing game. Still, the Vols’ offense finished 19th in the country in total offense, scoring 53 touchdowns and averaging 6.76 yards per play and 448 yards per game. But that was quite a drop-off from being No. 1 in the country the year before when they averaged 7.2 yards per play and 525.5 yards per game.
Going 9-4 with a second straight bowl win should still be considered a massive win considering the last two decades that Tennessee football has gone through, where that sort of win total or better was rare. Is that possible in 2024, though?
Tennessee football should be improved in 2024
Getting and staying healthy will be something that head coach Josh Heupel hopes for in 2024. As mentioned, injuries to the receiving corps hurt Tennessee football last season. McCoy announced he will be returning to reunite with Oregon transfer Donte Thornton Jr., Tulane transfer Chris Brazzell II, Notre Dame tight end Holden Staes, and leading receiver Squirrel White from last season.
Tennessee football has some momentum, much like the year before when they defeated Clemson in the Orange Bowl. Despite falling to two of the SEC’s top teams in Georgia and Missouri during their two-game losing streak in November of last year, the Vols ended their season with a commanding victory over Vanderbilt and a Citrus Bowl triumph over 20th-ranked Iowa.
But the most encouraging thing was what they showed at the Citrus Bowl. Nico Iamaleava, a highly touted rookie, took over at quarterback after Milton decided not to play in the bowl game.
Tennessee football starting QB Nico Iamaleava will keep the Vols competitive in the SEC
When Hooker’s eligibility expired and he left for the NFL, it was rather obvious who Tennessee football’s next starting quarterback would be. After moving from Ann Arbor to Knoxville, Milton had waited patiently for his turn and was briefly starting ahead of Hooker to start the 2021 campaign. Thus, Milton was certain to start in 2023 unless an unforeseen circumstance arose. But that didn’t stop Vols supporters from demanding Iamaleava.
There were more and more roars from Iamaleava with each missed throw or careless pass from Milton. He did saw some action in a few games, but it was primarily during garbage time for the true freshman. Up until the Citrus Bowl, that is.
After 12 games of Milton starting for the season, the 13th and finale against one of the better defenses in the country in Iowa was left for Iamaleava. In a 35-0 thumping by the Vols over the Hawkeyes, the new starting quarterback scored the first touchdown of the game on a 19-yard run, then scored the next two on a three-yard pass to McCallan Castles for eighteen yards, followed by a two-yarder and his last one. He completed the day 12-for-19 for 151 yards passing, 27 yards gained on the ground, and four touchdowns overall.
Iamaleava, a unanimous five-star pick and 247Sports’ #2 quarterback prospect nationwide, arrived in Knoxville with a lot of excitement. Thus, there was a valid reason why Vols supporters have been eagerly awaiting his takeover. With him taking over as the team’s primary starter, Tennessee has a plethora of opportunities ahead of them, particularly with the enlarged College Football Playoffs scheduled for this season. Due of his skill set and the significance of the quarterback position, Iamaleava completely alters the dynamic of Tennessee football in 2024.
