After Joe Milton III departed for the NFL, Tennessee came into the new college football season with a new face at quarterback.
And the Volunteers had some big-time talent waiting in the wings.
Redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava, a former 5-star recruit, made his first collegiate start for Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl last season. He's now the team's full-time starter in 2024, and he got off to a strong start in Week 1 against Chattanooga.
Even with his stellar first impression, many football fans may need an introduction to Iamaleava as the young QB takes the reins for the Volunteers.
The Sporting News has you covered on everything you should know about Iamaleava, including his recruiting profile, NIL deals and how you pronounce his last name.
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Who is Tennessee redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava?
At the end of Tennessee's 2023 season, Milton opted to prepare for the NFL Draft and sat out the Citrus Bowl.
Iamaleava — listed at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds — filled Milton's shoes for the game and became the starter against then-No. 20 Iowa, which boasted one of the nation's best defensive units.
Coming into the Citrus Bowl, Iamaleava had just 26 passing attempts and one touchdown in his freshman season. Experience didn't seem to matter against Iowa, though, as he showed out in Tennessee's 35-0 shutout for 151 passing yards, one passing touchdown and three rushing touchdowns.
Iamaleava was named the Citrus Bowl MVP and came into Week 1 of the 2024 season as the clear starter at QB. Against Chattanooga, Iamaleava dominated in his first regular-season start for 313 passing yards and three touchdowns.
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How old is Nico Iamaleava?
Iamaleava is 19 years old but enters the 2024 season just days from his 20th birthday on September 2. He was born in Long Beach, California.
As a redshirt freshman, Iamaleava is younger than a large majority of college football's starting quarterbacks, but he hasn't shown his youth yet in his numbers.
Nico Iamaleava high school stats
Iamaleava had a dominant high school football career that set him up as one of the nation's best quarterback recruits. Here's a look at his high school numbers, via MaxPreps.
| Year | Comp | Att | Passing Yards | TDs | INTs |
| 2021 | 73 | 121 | 1,004 | 17 | 1 |
| 2022 | 162 | 272 | 2,244 | 33 | 1 |
| 2023 | 119 | 199 | 1,986 | 25 | 5 |
In his senior year, Iamaleava threw for 1,986 yards and had 31 total touchdowns. That season, he was also named the Polynesian Bowl MVP and Polynesian Football Player of the Year.
As a recruit, he was ranked the No. 2 quarterback and overall prospect in the country by 247Sports for the Class of 2023, behind only Texas QB Arch Manning.
"Has made huge strides over the last year in terms of his pocket feel, ability to throw on time and anticipate. He always had a big arm but can now change speeds, go through progressions and make accurate touch throws down the field look easy," 247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins said in Iamaleava's high school scouting report. "He has exceptional escapability and is just as dangerous outside the pocket as he is throwing in it."
Iamaleava wound up selecting Tennessee over Alabama, Auburn and Arizona State.
Nico Iamaleava NIL deals
Iamaleava is reportedly one of the country's highest-paid college athletes. Iamaleava has an NIL deal worth $8 million with Spyre Sports Group, a Tennessee collective that targets some of the top recruiting talent, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Over time, as the NCAA rules regarding NIL shifted and developed, Iamaleava was the subject of some controversy surrounding NIL at UT, but nothing ever came of it from the NCAA. Iamaleava still hasn't discussed the Spyre Sports Group deal publicly.
According to Yahoo Sports, Iamaleava has also signed an NIL deal with Beats by Dre.
Nico Iamaleava name pronunciation
The quarterback's last name might present a tricky challenge on paper, but luckily, Iamaleava has made the pronunciation clear:
The Volunteers made sure to have that video posted to his roster page on their team website. Iamaleava is of of Samoan descent, and he shares a name with his father, Nicholaus Iamaleava Sr.
Iamaleava will continue to develop at Tennessee as one of the top young quarterbacks in the country and is setting himself up to rank high on NFL Draft boards down the line.