Tennessee football's Nico Iamaleava named SEC Freshman of the Week

Tennessee football redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava continues to receive recognition after a record-setting performance against UT Chattanooga in the 2024 season opener. The Vols beat Chatt 69-3 in big part thanks to Nico's first-half performance. 

The redshirt freshman quarterback set a program record for passing yards in a half as he competed 22-of-28 attempts, passing for 314 yards and three touchdowns. That's the most passing yards any quarterback has recorded in a single half in Tennessee football history. 

Nico earned conference honors for his record-breaking performance. The SEC announced on Monday that Nico had been named the SEC Freshman of the Week and shared some highlight plays from Saturday's game in the announcement video.

The former five-star quarterback had anticipation building for his debut all of 2023 while sitting behind Joe Milton for a season and learning the system and how to run a college offense. 

Nico started Tennessee's bowl game against Iowa, and the Vols dominated the Hawkeyes, who were on their way to a 35-0 win. In that game, he relied on his legs more than his arm but guided the Vols to a dominant win. 

Tennessee immediately went to work preparing for the 2024 season, and it looks like the wait has paid off so far for Nico, who is already playing elite football in his second start. 

Nico's record-breaking first career start in Neyland Stadium will draw even more hype as the Vols prepare for their first-ranked matchup of the season against NC State on Saturday night. The Vols and Wolfpack will be featured on ABC, and kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET.