Nico Iamaleava has Tennessee football fans talking with his notable weight gain

It's bulking season for Nico, which is a good thing.
ByBraulio Perez|
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) walks off the field after the win over Kentucky after an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn.
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) walks off the field after the win over Kentucky after an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If there was one knock on Nico Iamaleava early on in his college career that people always pointed out, it was that the youngster was simply too skinny suiting up for the Tennessee football team. Let's be real here, Iamaleava isn't known for turning heads in the weight room like other quarterbacks.

It looks like that could be changing, however. One of the main takeaways thus far in spring camp is that Iamaleava appears to have bulked up a bit. It's a main topic of conversation among the fanbase, as the star signal-caller, who weighed 215 pounds in 2024, is now up to 220 pounds. He's not done adding size either.

Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava is prioritizing getting bigger this offseason

With Nico checking in at 6-6 and 215 pounds with a wet t-shirt on, there was no question that he needed to add some pounds leading up to Week 1 in late August. He's up five pounds thus far, though he told reporters that he's hoping to get to 225-230.

That'd be awesome if he could put on good weight like that. New offensive lineman Sam Pendleton, a Notre Dame transfer, said that he takes issue with people who make contact with his quarterback. It's good to know that mindset is being showcased in Knoxville, but Iamaleava is helping himself out by getting bigger and stronger too.

In 2024, Iamaleava took over the offense and he had plenty of great moments throwing the ball all over the field. He looked rough with the deep ball early on, but he definitely cleaned that area of his game up down the stretch of the campaign.

Looking ahead to 2025, the pressure is on for Iamaleava to live up to the hype and play at a level that has him as one of the top quarterbacks not only in the SEC, but for all of college football. He's taking his body seriously, which is already a fantastic start for '25. It's gotta be something Josh Heupel is a big fan of too.

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