Josh Heupel on Nico Iamaleava’s quarterback voice
Nico Iamaleava’s volume could be scrutinized this season, as could his completion rate.
The latter is certainly much higher for Tennessee’s quarterback than the former.
“Because Nico is a young player, he was asked a lot of questions (by reporters) about his leadership role,” coach Josh Heupel said Tuesday at SEC Media Days in Dallas.
“Well, he’s phenomenal at communicating in one-on-one situations and small groups. But he’s taking on more and more responsibility in our entire offense and on our football team.”
Coaches and teammates were impressed by how Iamaleava speaks to the players.
For example, if a wide receiver runs the wrong route, Iamaleava doesn’t yell at him across the field. He jogs up to the receiver, puts his arm on his shoulder, and talks to him face-to-face to correct the situation.
Reporters were able to observe this during rehearsals open to the media in the spring.
And coaches said Iamaleava was very diligent, vocal and encouraging during position meetings.
“A lot of people think he’s young. But he has a whole team around him that sees him as a leader,” said 26-year-old linebacker Keenan Pili. “You could already see his development (as a leader) this spring. But Nico’s talent has always been there.”
So can Iamaleava lead the Vols without a loud, fiery demeanor? Well, that’s the unanswered question as he steps into the role of undisputed QB1 as a redshirt freshman.
Nico Iamaleava’s first task? Leading the offense
Heupel believes that Iamaleava’s voice will naturally grow louder – figuratively and probably literally – after his piece speaks for itself.
It’s been going well so far.
Iamaleava, a former five-star recruit, showcased his talent in his Citrus Bowl MVP performance in his first game from start to finish last season.
“The first thing you have to do is master your position, and he’s continued to improve at that,” Heupel said. “Any young quarterback I’ve had — and I’ve started with a lot of first-year quarterbacks in my career — who masters his position and takes responsibility for (executing) the game-day plan, they grow as leaders when those things happen.”
Vols have experienced leaders who can help
Last season, Iamaleava learned from starting quarterback Joe Milton the importance of building a close relationship with his teammates.
And players appreciated the humility Iamaleava showed after arriving as arguably the nation’s top recruit. That turned Iamaleava’s soft demeanor into a positive.
“What makes him a great leader for us is his demeanor,” center Cooper Mays said. “For a guy who’s been through everything he’s been through, especially coming out of high school, I wouldn’t have thought he’d be very humble and willing to learn.”
“But he took everything in his stride and people respect that. Nico is a really good guy.”
Mays will be a valuable addition to Iamaleava in leading Tennessee’s up-tempo offense. The All-SEC center has led Heupel’s system for the past three seasons.
And numerous experienced players on the Vols roster can take on this leadership role.
Mays, Pili and defensive end Omari Thomas represented Tennessee at SEC Media Days in place of Iamaleava. The trio of captains have played a total of 125 games with 87 starts in their careers.
Adam Sparks is Tennessee’s football reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparksSupport strong local journalism by subscribing to knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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