Nico Iamaleava Earning Early NFL Draft Hype

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava is getting early NFL Draft hype from Pro Football Focus.

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava is getting early NFL Draft hype from Pro Football Focus.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is immensely talented. That much has been known since his sophomore season of high school when he initially came onto the national recruiting scene. He's got the prototypical traits of an NFL quarterback and throws a ball with a ton of life.

He only has one start credited to his name and isn't even draft-eligible until after the 2026 season, so it's early to think that far ahead. However, Pro Football Focus broached who the No. 1 quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft could be after this upcoming season. Iamaleava's name was at the top of the list, alongside others with minimal experience. 

While no 2026 quarterback cracked the top 10, that was more due to a lack of playing time than potential. There were five true freshman quarterbacks last year who were top-15 overall recruits coming out of high school. Since 2004, the previous high in a class was three.The one with the highest ceiling of them all is Iamaleava. At 6-foot-6, he has a strong arm to pair with impressive mobility at that size. The true freshman made his lone start in the Citrus Bowl against Iowa. Despite the Hawkeyes featuring one of the best defenses in the country, he finished with an 84.9 PFF grade, two big-time throws and three rushing touchdowns in the 35-0 victory. With starter Joe Milton III off to the NFL, Iamaleava can stake his claim as the 2026 QB1 as the full-time starter next season." - PFF on Nico Iamaleava

Tennessee Volunteers QB Nico Iamaleava during his official visit to Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of Nico Iamaleava)

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