Tennessee football makes cut for elite 2023 California QB Nicholaus Iamaleava
It wasn’t exactly a Christmas present for Tennessee football, but it could be a preview for a late present down the road. Josh Heupel has them trending for a top-notch Southern California quarterback in Los Angeles County.
Nicholaus Iamaleava, who hails from Warren High School in Downey, Calif., announced his top 12 on Saturday, and his list included the Vols. A five-star on Rivals and four-star on 247Sports, Iamaleava stands between 6’5″ and 6’6″ and weighs between 195 and 205 pounds.
Joining Tennessee football on Iamaleava’s list are the UCLA Bruins, Ohio State Buckeyes, Alabama Crimson Tide, Ole Miss Rebels, Oregon Ducks, Georgia Bulldogs, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Auburn Tigers, BYU Cougars, Miami Hurricanes and Oregon State Beavers. He named all of the schools in a picture on Twitter.
M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S🎄#TEAMMOM💝#TOABOYZ pic.twitter.com/X66TtGHoc1
— 🇼🇸Nicholaus Iamaleava Jr.🇦🇸 (@nico_iamaleava8) December 25, 2021
Listed as a pro-style quarterback on Rivals and ESPN, Iamaleava is part of an elite quarterback class in 2023. Arch Manning, nephew of Peyton Manning, is the most notable player in that class, but Iamaleava is also an elite prospect.
Obviously, given Heupel’s track record and what he has proven this year as an offensive mind, he’ll likely attract quarterbacks from all over the country. It’s also true that he probably needs another quarterback for that class to have more healthy competition.
However, with Tayven Jackson, Joe Milton III and Navy Shuler all likely to be in the program when 2023 comes around, any quarterback who commits to the Vols will have to beat out lots of guys already. Still, Heupel could use at least one high-profile drop-back passer in that class, and he has proven he can coach such quarterbacks, so watch out for Iamaleava.
Five things for Vols to address by National Signing Day. dark. Next
Currently, there are no favorites to land Iamaleava on the Rivals Future Cast or the 247Sports Crystal Ball. However, albeit unscientific, Tennessee football is the majority favorite on the Rivals Fan Future Cast. As a result, watch out for what the Vols are able to do going forward. Landing Iamaleava would be huge for them.