FOOTBALL

Tennessee Volunteers Football

Quarterback Nico Iamaleava is leading the Tennessee Volunteers into their first College Football Playoff appearance.

Nico Iamaleava has quite the story at Tennessee and he is just getting started. Saturday’s game against Ohio State will test the young QB on a big stage.

Here’s more about Iamaleava’s background and history with the Vols.

Who is Nico Iamaleava?

Iamaleava is the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers. His first year with the team was 2023 as a backup quarterback. He played in five games with one start.

This season, Iamaleava lead Tennessee to a 10-win regular season and a trip to the College Football Playoff.

Where did Nico Iamaleava play before Tennessee?

No. 8 Iamaleava did not play anywhere else before Tennessee. He committed to play for the Vols in March 2022.

Iamaleava redshirted his freshman year, and has been the starting quarterback in the 2024 season.

Before moving to Knoxville, Iamaleava played football and volleyball for both Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, and Warren High School in Downey, California.

What ethnicity is Nico Iamaleava?

Iamaleava is of Samoan descent.

Is Nico Iamaleava good?

Iamaleava helped lead the Vols to a 10-2 regular season record. He was a key player in Tennessee’s October victory over Alabama. In that game, he threw for 194 yards, completing 14 of 27 attempts.

He threw for a total of 2,512 yards and 19 touchdowns in the regular season with only five interceptions.

He was the 2024 Citrus Bowl MVP, was named the SEC freshman player of the week three times this season, a 2024 Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year semifinalist and 2024 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year finalist.

Did Nico Iamaleava play volleyball?

Yes.

He played volleyball at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, and was seen as one of the best volleyball players in the country.

Iamaleava’s older brother Matt played volleyball at Long Beach State University.

What happened to Nico Iamaleava?

Iamaleava suffered an upper body injury in Tennessee’s game against Mississippi State. He took a hard hit from Mississippi State safety Isaac Smith at the end of a 7-yard run late in the first half.

He missed the second half of Tennessee’s 33-14 win against Mississippi State. He was placed in concussion protocol, Knox News reported, but did not end up missing more playing time.

He returned in Tennessee’s 31-17 loss to Georgia.

How much was Nico Iamaleava’s NIL deal?

Iamaleava signed an initial NIL deal for an estimated worth of $8 million in March 2022, The Athletic reported.

He committed to Tennessee a week after the The Athletic article. This deal sparked the NCAA’s investigation into UT about potential rule violations involving benefits for athletes in January.

Tennessee vs. NCAA went to federal court. In February, a judge granted an injunction and suspended NCAA rules on NIL benefits for athletes.

Iamaleava signed with Spyre Sports Group in 2022. He also singed an NIL deal with Beats by Dre ahead of the 2024 season.

How do you say Nico Iamaleava’s name?

Iamaleava’s last name is pronounced ee-YAH-mə-lay-YAH-və.

Joanna Hayes is the restaurant and retail reporter. Email: [email protected].

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