NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Two five-star quarterbacks from the class of 2023 will face off Saturday night when Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava and Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold lead their teams.
Iamaleava finished No. 1 in the On3 quarterback rankings and No. 2 in the 247Sports quarterback rankings. Arnold was the 2022-23 Gatorade National Player of the Year. He was the MVP of the Elite 11 and was voted the best quarterback in his class by ESPN.
Both will be in the spotlight against strong defenses when No. 6 Tennessee (3-0) visits No. 15 Oklahoma (3-0) in the first Southeastern Conference game of both players’ careers and the league opener for both teams.
Iamaleava starts his career with 4:0, including a Victory over a top-ranked Iowa team in the Citrus Bowl last season in his first start. This season he led the Vols to an overwhelming victory over another ranked team, NC State, in the Duke’s Mayo Classic Charlotte.
Tennessee center Cooper Mays can’t wait to see how his quarterback handles his first real away game.
“He’s absolutely consistent in his personality day in and day out,” Mays said. “He’s relaxed and calm, cool and collected. That’s how he is every day, no matter what environment he’s in. I’m really excited to protect him and help him do all the things he wants to do on Saturday.”
Iamaleava has been so effective in Heupel’s offense that he has only played eight quarters so far this season, even though Tennessee outscored its opponents 191-13 to start the season. As a result, Iamaleava has thrown for just 698 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions, averaging 232.7 yards per game.
“He’s fun to watch,” said Oklahoma coach Brent Venables. “He’s incredibly talented, has a strong arm and is a great runner. What he’s done in such a short amount of time. He’s completed 72% of his passes and has been just fantastic. He’s got a great presence, a great supporting cast and a great defense.”
Iamaleava is a freshman, having not played enough games last season to lose his eligibility, and this season he became the first freshman quarterback since 2004 to start an opening game for Tennessee.
Arnold is a sophomore, having played in seven games last season. Like Iamaleava, Arnold made his first start in a bowl game last season. He threw passes for 361 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions in a loss to Arizona in the Alamo Bowl.
Arnold has thrown for 484 yards and seven touchdowns this season and has run for 159 yards and two more scores in three games. He has had big moments this season – throwing four touchdown passes in the season opener against Temple and running for 97 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Tulane.
He struggled to lead the team to a 16-12 win over Houston in Week 2, which caused some concern. He then threw an interception against Tulane that was returned for a touchdown that brought the Green Wave to within 24-19. before Oklahoma pulled away with 34-19.
“You throw the ball away or you just run with the ball,” Venables said. “I liked the way he responded. He obviously did a great job in the fourth quarter. We scored 10 points, he’s doing a great job … he does a lot of things right, puts it behind him and learns from it. That’s something you can grow from. That’s how you get better.”
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Arnold has several good qualities that concern him.
“In general, he takes care of the football very well,” Heupel said. “I think he has great control and presence in what they do offensively. He has the ability to use his feet to get things right. That could be when the pocket collapses, setting up a quarterback run or reading the play. He’s a really talented young player.”
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AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.
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