Cooper Mays comments on Nico Iamaleava’s first game of the 2024 season
Tennessee Volunteers center Cooper Mays said quarterback Nico Iamaleava felt relaxed during his first home game.
Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava delivered a sensational performance in his second collegiate start on Saturday, leading the Vols to a 69-3 victory over Chattanooga in the season opener.
Iamaleava, who completed 22 of 28 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns in the win, even earned high praise for his performance from a three-time national championship coach.
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“I took another look at Tennessee,” former Florida and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said on “The Triple Option” podcast. “And they have a quarterback that I called this morning after I looked at it, Matt Leinart and Brady Quinn. His name is Nico Iamaleava.”
“I’ll tell you this now: I watched the whole game, and it’s Tennessee versus Chattanooga. So they were outmatched because of their opponent. They were so much better, but this guy had a body type, stood there and threw the ball like a rocket. He was a five-star product coming out of high school. I asked Brady and Matt, ‘Is he a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft?’ … This guy is unbelievable.
“I know they had Joe Milton last year, but this guy is a monster. I think he’s what will help them cover the spread and make the playoffs.”
The 6-foot-6 quarterback was the No. 3 player and No. 2 quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. He is also the fourth-best recruit in Vols history, behind Bryce Brown, David Sanders Jr. (signed in 2025) and Eric Berry.
Chattanooga coach Rusty Wright was asked Tuesday if the Mocs will face a quarterback of Iamaleava’s caliber for the rest of the season, and Wright replied, “Well, I hope not.”
If Iamaleava is the right fit – and most believe he is – Tennessee can probably go as far as the redshirt freshman quarterback can in 2024.
