Travis Hunter took home the 2024 Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, narrowly beating out Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty for the hardware. Naturally, attention has already shifted to the 2025 race — who could take home the award next season?
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is on the short list. The former five-star prospect started red hot in his first season as the starting quarterback, dating back to last season’s Citrus Bowl win over Iowa. Iamaleava throttled the non-conference portion of the schedule, then led the Vols to a big road win at Oklahoma. Then things got bumpy.
Iamaleava hit a bit of a mid-season lull, but something clicked in the second half against Alabama. A deep shot to Dont’e Thornton really did seem to get things clicking. From there, Iamaleava’s confidence grew. Fantastic outings against Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt capped Tennessee’s season, pushing the Volunteers into the College Football Playoff.
That progression was enough for ESPN to push Iamaleava into the Heisman picture for next season.
Tennessee fans got a glimpse of Iamaleava when he accounted for four touchdowns in last season’s 35-0 victory over Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. He was the first Vols freshman quarterback to win a bowl game since Peyton Manning in the 1994 Gator Bowl. This season, Iamaleava completed 65.7% of his attempts for 2,512 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s 11-2 as a starter. If Iamaleava progresses as expected, the former five-star recruit could be a Heisman contender in 2025. (ESPN)
It’s not all that far-fetched to think Iamaleava could make a significant leap next season with another offseason in the program. All the tools are there, and another year of seasoning in the offense can only help. To me, we’ve seen Nico turn a corner over the last month. If he can get more consistent down the field, who knows?
Other 2025 Heisman Candidates (Per ESPN)
- Kevin Jennings, QB, SMU
- Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
- Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
- Sam Leavitt, QB, Arizona State
- Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
- LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina
- Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama
- Jordan James, RB, Oregon
- Arch Manning, QB, Texas
- DJ Lagway, QB, Florida
- Nate Frazier, RB, Georgia
- Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson