Iamaleava Shines, Makes Case To Be Nation’s Top QB During OT7

"I go in with the same mindset everywhere I go—competing with the best and competing at my best. I don't worry too much about the other guys—I just try to stay in my mindset."

When Tennessee quarterback commitment Nico Iamaleava walked into All-American Park in Las Vegas on Friday night, there was an audible murmur from bystanders. Several younger fans rushed over to snap a picture with him. Fast forward almost 24 hours. Same park. Same scenario. 

Now, in-between taking photos with close to 100 fans and signing autographs for countless others, the 6'6" signal-caller also made time to connect with other top prospects he would like to see join him in Knoxville. 

"It is still kind of the same," Iamaleava said of his pitch to other top prospects during time spent around the event. "If they want to come be a part of the family, they can. I am not forcing anything or pushing any buttons for them to come join. I think they see what we are building at Tennessee, and it is special. Guys like me, Ethan (Davis), and Jack (Luttrell) continue to recruit out here. A lot of top athletes out here, so we are really just trying to continue building relationships because you don't see the out-of-state guys a lot. It is good to have tournaments like this and get out there and interact with the guys."

One of those guys was elite five-star wide receiver Carnell Tate, who is closing in on a decision in the coming weeks. 

"Carnell has been real silent about his decision, so I haven't really pushed his buttons on that," Iamaleava said of conversations with the fellow elite recruit. "Our relationship continues to grow. With our friendship, we just keep chopping it up, like among us. So I really pitch to him the same; if he wants to come, he can."

"It would mean a lot," Iamaleava said of what it would mean if Tate joined up with him in Knoxville. "Him being the top receiver in this class opens up doors for other top receivers and athletes to come to look at Tennessee. They want to come look at Tennessee, and we are trying to build the best class we can. I think it would open opportunities for other guys to see that we are not playing around with this recruiting class."

While Iamaleava's off-field swag, peer recruiting efforts, and ability to interact with countless fans, all while never losing a smile, is undeniable, it was his play on the field that stole the show on Friday and Saturday night.

 

Rewind to the opening quote in this article. Those "other guys" mentioned are not just the casual quarterback recruit. 

Malachi Nelson, Dante Moore, and Jaden Rashada are all considered among the nation's most-elite prospects, regardless of position. As they, along with Iamaleava, are the core of a quarterback class that many consider the best to come out of the prep ranks in over a decade and possibly ever. 

During the event, Iamaleava had a chance to go head-to-head with Rashada and Nelson, both fellow prospects from the Golden State. And all the Tennessee commit did was outduel them, despite both of their defenses being littered with top defensive prospects.

 

Heading into night two, as Iamaleava stood alongside me, a young fan, no more than five years old, walked straight up and interjected in the conversation, saying, "Are you the top quarterback in the nation?" 

To which Iamaleava responded, "No, that's not me, buddy. But maybe soon." 

The young fan looked back curiously and simply said, "yeah, you are," as he started to scamper off. 

Iamaleava chuckled because, at the end of the day, it is not about that top ranking for him. It is about going out at every stop and showing people what he can do when the lights shine the brightest. But at the end of night two, which started with those fan interactions, Iamaleava walked off the field with all of the buzz around his name. Undoubtedly having stated his case to be the top signal-caller in the 2023 class. 

"I feel like a lot of guys haven't got to see me throw live, so it felt good to get in front of their eyes and show them what I am capable of," he said of what he thought he had accomplished during the two nights. "Beating top athletes with my day one guys, we have a couple of three stars and four stars, but all of these guys have been with me since day one, so beating top 100 defenses, it felt good to beat up on some of these teams."

The ability to embody all that is the quarterback position off the field, while out performing his peers on the field, during a setting unlike many that we get a chance to see in the recruiting world, speaks volumes to where Iamaleava is as a prospect. Coming out of this weekend, it should be at the top of the respective industry rankings.