National recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna tabbed Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava the top second-year quarterback for the 2024 college football season, beating out the likes of Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold and Kansas State’s Avery Johnson. Petagna said Iamaleava is a perfect fit in Josh Heupel’s offense and is a fan of the pieces the Volunteers have put around their young signal-caller.
“I love the fit with Nico at Tennessee,” Petagna said Wednesday, via the College Football Recruiting show. “The roster is at a perfect balance right now. I love what they have at the skill positions and what they’re surrounding him with. They went out and got a former five-star tackle in Lance Heard to help protect him. I’m riding with Nico.”
The former five-star recruit rated as the No. 2 overall prospect in the class of 2023 and is the highest-rated quarterback to commit to Tennessee in the modern recruiting era. Iamaleava saw extended action in the Volunteers’ 35-0 win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl and turned heads with how easily he dissected the Hawkeyes’ vaunted defense. He completed 12-of-19 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 27 yards and three scores.
“There was so much more there from a running standpoint that I did not think he was capable of,” Petagna said. “It is going to be interesting to see whether Josh Heupel leans on his legs at times. I expect Nico to very, very quickly become one of the faces of college football.”
Petagna compared Iamaleava’s pocket presence and quick feet to former Heisman Trophy winner and 2023 No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Bryce Young. However, Iamaleava, at 6-foot-6, won’t face the same concerns over his stature that Young did at Alabama, according to Petagna.
“The best way I can describe Nico is he has Justin Herbert’s frame with Bryce Young’s pocket mobility,” Petagna said. “He has that improv magic.”
Late Kick host Josh Pate labeled Iamaleava one of his breakout quarterback candidates for the 2024 season, comparing the redshirt freshman to former Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker
