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Nico Iamaleava Left Off Top CFB QBs List

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava was notably absent from CBS Sports' recent college quarterbacks rankings.
Evan Crowell|
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) walks off the field after the win over Kentucky after an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn.
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) walks off the field after the win over Kentucky after an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava was notably absent from CBS Sports' recent college quarterbacks rankings.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is one of the top signal callers entering the 2025 college football season... to some. The redshirt sophomore led the Volunteers to their first College Football Playoff appearance this past season after throwing for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns. He's been touted as a top NFL Draft prospect since high school and will likely hear his name called next April.

However, those accomplishments weren't enough to land him on a top returning quarterbacks list. CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli ranked the top ten quarterbacks returning to college next season, and Iamaleava was nowhere to be found. Furthermore, he wasn't even named an honorable mention, of which there were five.

While preseason rankings are just that, it's certainly interesting to see where Iamaleava is viewed nationally. Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Florida quarterback DJ Lagway both made the top-ten despite never being full-time starters, though many expect both to compete for the Heisman Memorial Trophy this season. You can read Fornelli's full article here.

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Evan Crowell
EVAN CROWELL

Evan Crowell is currently pursuing a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and has various media experiences throughout his young career. He's been committed to marrying the fan's perspective of the game of football to the technical intricacies installed in each game by coaches and players. Crowell has been working at Fan Nation since 2020 and has covered high-profile college football games, recruiting events, and more during that five-year tenure. While he never played football, he's worked relentlessly to continue improving his understanding of the game while still covering the unique stories of each individual he covers.

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