He is on his own trail and creating his own path. The defense has been throwing different schemes and various looks at him early in spring practice. "color": "#4c4c4c" } Now a heavyweight recruiting analyst is projecting him to become a Volunteer. The 36-year-old quarterbacks coach grew up 55 miles away from Iamaleavas hometown of Long Beach, Calif. Iamaleava received 24 offers in football but also a few in volleyball. Nico Iamaleava Skips Elite 11 For Volleyball And His - BroBible Warren senior quarterback Nico Iamaleava kept a smile even after his career as a Bear ended Friday night. }); Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava inks first national NIL deal with Force Factor. }, Tennessee football made a big statement last week when the program landed the commitment of 5-star quarterback recruit Nico Iamaleava. "margin-bottom": "0px" (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(script); The result has been some mistakes as you would expect in the first week of practice, but as offensive coordinatorJoey Halzlesaid last week, its a good thing for Iamaleava to see everything right out of the gate, Hubbs said. "max-width": "100%", long beach .Watch the latest video from Nico (@nico_iamaleava). On3 Sports released its final 2023 rankings, and Iamaleava came in at No. }, "font-size": "15.299999999999999px", } Overall, he handled five carries for 62 yards. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Most recruiting analysts consider Iamaleava one of the premier talents at the position in a particularly loaded class. "padding-top": "16px", "margin-left": "-20px" The Volunteer Club signs NIL deal with Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Yeah, I think our whole quarterback room can make plays on the run, Iamaleava said. Iamaleava may be a freshman but he is acting far from it. Hes going to flap his wings, man. I know it.. ":hover": { "empty": { } "color": "#4c4c4c" The scramble drill doesnt scramble Iamaleavas play. "font-size": "15.299999999999999px", He knows anything can happen throughout the course of the year. ":hover": { 2023 On3 Media, Inc. All rights reserved. ":focus": { One of the first major quarterback dominoes of 2023 fell Monday afternoon and it went away from Alabama and toward Tennessee. I was locked in on that one., I was pretty locked in on the play, man, he added. He has got the ability to get himself in great body position when he is out in space and he has got people chasing him, Heupel continued. }, He does have a really good feel for a young guy inside of the pocket, when to step up, when to escape out the back side. "quantityInput": { If Heupel needs to insert the true freshman, being ready for the moment is crucial. He already has offers from Tennessee, Pittsburgh, San Diego State and, as of this weekend, Arkansas State. His team went on to win 22-17. The timing is pretty interesting here, considering what news just came out. Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel and Joey Halzle were able to form a relationship with Iamaleava in the interim. He had an excellent official visit with the staff and became their prized recruit. ":focus": { Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. Instead, he excels outside the pocket. }, "margin-bottom": "50px" 1 overall player in the 2023 class in the On3 ratings. Five-star Nico Iamaleava was the No. } else { "price": { But Ive accepted it its a nasty feeling.. Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee football QB commit, captivates Vols - Yahoo Assessing Nico Iamaleava's Polynesian Bowl Performance - Sports Illustrated /*Is 5-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava worth $8 million for Tennessee "quantityInput": { var script = document.createElement('script'); "title": { }, "The . [2] [3] Early life and high school career Iamaleava was born in Long Beach, California and is of Samoan decent. While there's little Milton could do to lose the job in preseason camp, Iamaleava may show the coaching staff he's worthy of a few packages. "font-weight": "normal", Watch: Solar Eclipse Surfing with Nate and John John Florence The latest stop on the Slab Tour gets a littletrippy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. The quarterback will also be able to work on his comfort level within the offense in a game-like setting. The remaining uncommitted: Arch Manning, Eli Holstein, Dylan Lonergan and Marcel Reed. Go out there and play and have fun. }, CBS Sports writer says Vols QB Nico Iamaleava is 'playing for a Enter five-star quarterback Nicholaus Iamaleava one of Tennessee's top targets in the class of 2023. "background-color": "#000000", }, Spyre Sports Group. Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee, Quarterback - 247Sports Since committing in March to Tennessee signing a name, image and likeness deal with a school booster collective rumored to be worth $8 million Iamaleava has been a recruiter and a promoter . "font-weight": "normal", "fill": "#4c4c4c" Watch: 5-star Vols commit Nico Iamaleava looked like an elite QB on "color": "#4c4c4c" You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Our Polynesian background and culture we dont allow nobody to be bigger than the program. Nico Iamaleava was flushed out of the pocket late in the second quarter Saturday in the Orange & White Game at Neyland Stadium. Hes still a kid. "layout": "horizontal", "color": "#4c4c4c" }, } With third-down odds stacked against him, he reached deep into his bag of tricks: spinning away to fire a dart to brother Madden, converting a third-and-13 play with a laser to Jordan Ross, finding Ross again for a short touchdown and running in a conversion to give Warren a 21-14 lead. Could this deal be Iamaleavas? Nico knows his role. Iamaleava will return to Knoxville this weekend, getting set to start classes on Monday. Eligibility restrictions apply. This was Madden, a young quarterback with a live arm, showcasing his talent to coaches who are there to identify young prospects. options: { "product": { Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and UCLA are all still in the mix here, too. PicKell. "text": { "padding-bottom": "16px" Follow Evan Crowell on Twitter: @EvanVCrowell. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava partook in the Polynesian Bowl, one of the many all-star games designed to showcase college football's future. (function () { He was a consummate professional all week who somehow surpassed social media fame. You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. The 2023 prospect announced Tennessee . On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & resort (KS). After the frustration subsided, the bitter taste remained. Hes handled himself very professionally from the time that he has gotten here. "font-size": "26px", Iamaleava Jr. is set to play at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California during his 2022 senior season. I wasnt really aware of the crowd reaction.. The Vols signee moved up from No. "background-color": "#000000", Holstein, notably, was in Tuscaloosa for Junior Day in early March before decommiting from Texas A&M on Mar. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Alabama had made Iamaleava's final five but the Volunteers landed an in-conference win. "button": { Five-star freshman's insane throw goes absolutely viral - The Comeback On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & resort (KS). pic.twitter.com/pVzQaFFtNP. He played at such a high level all week that they think it would be a disservice to keep him on the sideline. "font-family": "Helvetica Neue, sans-serif", Tennessee 5 QB enrollee Nico Iamaleava almost found the end zone on this 58-yard run! Nico Iamaleava's throw on the run is why the Vols had to have him - On3.com "padding-bottom": "16px" Cant believe the best alcoholic on film was sober as a gopher. His best throw of the night went to tight end Duce Robinson, who is another five-star prospect. Nah, not nervous, Iamelava said. 3-ranked player in his class stands 6-foot-5, 195 pounds and is able to snap ankles with his feet in the same way that he can throw a deep ball down the sideline. "padding-right": "26px" Warren's Nicholaus Iamaleava brings toughness to quarterback play "color": "#4c4c4c" Thank you for the Southern hospitality see you soon #GOVOLS pic.twitter.com/LSOu9wkRmn, @Vol_Football Vol Nation Stand UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On3 Sports released its final 2023 rankings, and Iamaleava came in at No. }, if (window.ShopifyBuy) { "max-width": "100%", Nico Iamaleava is a five-star quarterback prospect in the Class of 2023. "currency": { He is focused on broadening and diversifying Southern California preps coverage and particularly interested in what makes athletes tick on and off the field. "font-size": "18px", Nico Iamaleava - Tennessee Volunteers - QB 2023 QB / 6-5.5 / 190 Tennessee Volunteers Exp2023 - present YearFreshman Age18 2023 Tennessee As a Recruit Industry 99.01 Ranking Natl. From Garcia Jr.: The activity he shows in the pocket, with enough movement skill to be effective outside of it, is staggering. "font-size": "15.299999999999999px", Tennessee football quarterback Nico Iamaleava is the No. Nico being such a great kid, son and brother, he has been really helpful, Nicholaus said. He transferred to Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, ahead of the 2022 season. "color": "#4c4c4c", 1/26/23 Source. Five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava is one of the most highly-anticipated players in the history of Tennessee Volunteers football, and he's already making a name for himself with some. Two weeks ago it was believed Iamaleava might be out for the season with a compound fracture of a finger on his non . He knows more tricks of the trade than any normal 2025 kid does. "font-size": "16px", Per Stewart Mandel of The Athletic, a 2023 athlete signed an $8 million NIL deal on Friday. Had a great time in Knoxville! NICO IAMALEAVA DUCE ROBINSON @nico_iamaleava8 @Ducerobinson2 @polynesiabowl #NacnacProductionz #PolynesianBowl #Hawaii pic.twitter.com/sB62vsBj2r. It's the first and only time he has been the top prospect in the class, and it's well deserved. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel was able to grab the attention of the recruiting world this past cycle, landing Nico Iamaleava. Now, players can sell the rights to their name, image, and likeness (NIL). 4 player in the final SI99, one of his highest marks among any service. "discountAmount": { node: document.getElementById('product-component-1657667679736'), Playing in the Orange Bowl against Clemson, star quarterback Hendon Hooker was not able to play due to a torn ACL suffered earlier in the season against South Carolina. In interviews, he appeared poised and mature while he showed his dazzling talent on the field. This wasnt his day, either. When he doesnt have the ability because of where the bodies are out in space to get himself in perfect position, he is able to still be accurate with the football. }, It doesnt matter if you are committed to Tennessee or in the league, you still have yours to do.. "text-align": "left" Call (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelpline.ma.org (MA), Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Their patients dont know where they went, Plaschke: Reeling Angels need to swallow hard and trade Shohei Ohtani, Commentary: NBAs in-season tournament will only matter if teams make it an event, Commentary: Megan Rapinoe leaving soccer on her own terms, same way she rose to stardom, Three Tigers pitchers combine to no-hit the Blue Jays, MLB players union ready to negotiate if As need temporary home before move to Las Vegas, U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe to retire after NWSL season. 1 recruit in the final On3 Sports rankings. CBS Sports reporter says Vols QB Nico Iamaleava is 'playing for a contract' and has another lucrative NIL deal lined up. The five-star freshman quarterback rolled right, kept his eyes downfield and threw to freshman tight end Ethan Davis 30 yards downfield. The Volunteers landed Nicholaus Iamaleava, the 6-foot-5, 195-pound 5-star. ui.createComponent('product', { PHOTOS: Vols' commit Nico Iamaleava Jr. playing 7on7 at Farragut "color": "#4c4c4c" His visits were well documented as Knoxville rallied around its highest-rated prospect under-center in 20 years. Yet after a back-and-forth summer during which he transferred to Long Beach Poly only to come back to Warren, the headlines have quieted, the 6-foot-6 blue-chipper simply focused on his last year of high school ball. "font-size": "16px", From there itll be about getting acclimated to college life, hitting the weight room and hopping in the nutrition program. ":focus": { This throw, specifically, looked like something we've seen numerous times over . Iamaleava reached the mark Tuesday after he saw a $57,000 increase from previous weeks in his NIL value. "contents": { }, EXCLUSIVE: A 2023 recruit signed a deal with a school's NIL collective today that could pay him more than $8 million. Madden looks at what his older brother has accomplished and wants to experience it for himself. Hes going to be asked to make throws like this weekly at Tennessee, so this was good to see. But Saturday at the TCU mega camp officially named the DFW Showcase, with nearly 4,000 campers participating wasnt about Nico Iamaleava, his father or NIL speculation. }); Even before the 2023 five-star prospect was ranked as the On300s No. Theres only so many things dad can say, you know, and then Nico comes in after and really helps out with that. @TheAthletic reviewed the contract. Ethan did a great job on a scramble drill, wheeling it down the sideline. Meet the 17-year-old QB worth $8 million, Nico Iamaleava Iamaleava has become one of the most recognizable names in the 2023 recruiting class, not only because hes a five-star quarterback from Long Beach (Calif.) Poly who is committed to Tennessee. Call (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelpline.ma.org (MA), Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). But were working. "margin-left": "0px", My dad was right here just seeing how emotional I was. } Is he worth that kind of cash for the Vols? Nico has been an instrumental piece of Maddens development. "font-weight": "normal", "toggle": { All of these colleges are here for a reason, and I felt like I wanted to put a show on for these coaches. "variantTitle": { "font-family": "Helvetica Neue, sans-serif", "description": { }, id: '6542772043885', Iamaleava is the No. The recruiting momentum for 2023 5-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava Jr. to come to the University of Oregon has certainly been picking up steam, and in the past week, On3 Recruiting projected that the Oregon Ducks are currently in the lead to land him . 1. "products": { In this story: . "color": "#4c4c4c" }, Leaf Trading Cards. Iamaleava gets the full spring and summer sessions before possibly pushing toward fall camp. He has got the ability to get away from defenders. Twitter, Tiktok, Instagram. "font-size": "16px", But Nate and John John Florence got a fleeting break from the Its like the old saying A grinder and paint make me the welder I aint.