Nico Iamaleava Has "Owned It" For Tennessee Football

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava is coming in with a strong mindset in his first season as a starter.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) during UT's first spring football practice on Monday, March / Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava is coming in with a strong mindset in his first season as a starter.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava has been somewhat of a folk tale since he committed in March of 2022. There's been lots of excitment around his name in Knoxville, Tennessee, but few had seen the product in-person. We caught a glimpse of it at the end of 2023 when he led Tennessee to a Citrus Bowl victory over Iowa. Now, we're preparing for a full season of it, and he seems to be doing the same.

"Nico, he’s owned it," wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope explained to the media earlier this week. "He’s taken accountability. He’s kind of taking the bull by the horns. You see him a lot of times after reps, before I can get guys and coach them up, he’s pulling them to the side. They’re talking through what they see and trying to get on the same page, so he’s done an awesome job of doing just that and taking ownership."

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