The Nico Iamaleava revenge tour is going to be here before you know it. In 2024, the California product took over as the Tennessee Vols football starting quarterback, wasting no time turning heads all over Knoxville - yeah, Nico was as good as advertised.
However, his campaign ended in disappointing fashion, with Tennessee suffering a lopsided loss in the first round of the College Football Playoff to the Ohio State Buckeyes, who went on to take down Notre Dame in the National Championship Game.
From the moment that game ended, the young signal-caller flipped the page to 2025. Tennessee is coming off a 10-win season and this team is ready to push for another trip to the CFP. On an individual level, the hype is already growing for Iamaleava far before Week 1 gets here. Need further proof of that? FanDuel posted its Heisman Trophy odds for next winter and Tennessee's stud QB is near the top of the list:
2025 Heisman Trophy odds from @FDSportsbook
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) January 21, 2025
Garrett Nussmeier 9/1
Arch Manning 9.5/1
Nico Iamaleava 11/1
LaNorris Sellers 20/1
DJ Lagway 25/1
John Mateer 25/1
Austin Simmons 30/1
Gunner Stockton 33/1
Marcel Reed 40/1
Jackson Arnold 45/1
Ty Simpson 50/1
Beau Pribula 95/1
Nate…
Nico Iamaleava will surely be in Heisman Trophy contention next season
In his first campaign as QB1 for the Vols, Iamaleava tossed for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns, while adding 358 more yards on the ground and three more scores. He had some issues firing the ball deep downfield, but it was something he improved on throughout the year.
There are plenty of nervous Vols supporters out there, as five Tennessee wideouts left the program, while Dylan Sampson is headed to the NFL. There are going to be a lot of new faces on offense for Iamaleava to work with, which will make spring camp even more important.
Bringing in wide receiver Amari Jefferson, running back Star Thomas and interior lineman Wendell Moe Jr. via the portal is going to prove to be huge for Josh Heupel and his offense. Iamaleava is going to have plenty of help in what could turn out to be a memorable season for him. Tennessee will be in the hunt to reach the CFP next campaign, and it looks like a Heisman run for Iamaleava is something else for fans to keep an eye on.