PFF Touts Nico Iamaleava As Breakout Star

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava has been identified as a potential breakout star by Pro Football Focus.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) during Tennessee's Orange & White spring football game at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, April 13, 2024. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava has been identified as a potential breakout star by Pro Football Focus.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava continues to be a common name in preseason college football conversations. Iamaleava earned MVP honors against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, accounting for four touchdowns in his first career start.

Pro Football Focus released a list of potential breakout candidates for the 2024 college football season, and Iamaleava was chief among them. Writer Mitch Kaiser broke down why college football fans could hear a lot from Iamaleava in a short few months.

"You’ll start hearing Iamaleava's name a lot over the next few months. The redshirt freshman was the No. 2 overall recruit of the 2023 class, and he has all the potential in the world," Kaiser wrote. "At 6-foot-6, he has a big arm and legit rushing ability. We saw a glimpse of the Nico era in Tennessee's bowl game against Iowa, and it was arguably the best the Vols offense looked all season despite playing against one of the nation’s top defenses. In that game, Iamaleava recorded three touchdowns and two big-time throws to earn an 85.0 passing grade."

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