Breaking: Vols Land Elite California Signal-Caller Iamaleava
Nico Iamaleavea has just announced his commitment to Tennessee moments ago via social. The news comes on the heels of a multi-day visit to Knoxville with his entire family just a little over a week ago, which allowed him the opportunity to see more of the city, the campus, and bond even more with the coaching staff.
Sources indicated to Volunteer Country coming out of the multi-day visit that the Vols had surged into the lead spot for him, and it certainly held true with the announcement now publicly revealed.
Credit Josh Heupel, Joey Halzle and Alex Golesh for working this recruitment tirelessly to land Iamaleava's commitment over Oregon, Georgia and Alabama, among others.
"They just need a couple of more pieces, and I think I would fit right into that and leading that team to big wins," Iamaleava previously told Sports Illustrated. " Coach Heupel pitched to me that he thinks I am a game-changer. I could come in and rebuild this back to the greatness that it was once at. Coach Heupel pitched to me that I have a chance to come in and compete with anyone and start as a freshman. Coach Halzle, we really didn't talk too much about football. He was asking me about my flight and if everything was treating me well. I really felt the love from Coach Halzle."
While the latest trip helped the Vols land his commitment, Heupel and the Vols made a move in Iamaleava's recruitment during a November visit, where they reiterated just how much of a priority he was for them.
"No coach has walked up to me during the walks, and that was a little different," Iamaleavea said at the time. "It was just great feeling the love from the coaches because they didn't have to do that. It was totally different experiencing all of the coaches walking up to me."
Iamaleava is the biggest recruit to date for the Vols in the Josh Heupel era, and he projects as one of the top all-time recruits to ever commit to Tennessee. There are still plenty of months between now and December, and other suitors are not going to stop recruiting him, but Tennessee fans and staff should be ecstatic over this new.
Iamleavea joins the Ethan Davis, Nate Spillman, Jack Luttrell and Ayden Bussell in this 2023 recruiting class. He will now lead the way for the Vols to build on what could be an eventual top-ten recruiting class.