High praise.
Phillip Fulmer might not be around quite as much as he used to be, but he’s seen enough from new Tennessee starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. During an appearance with Josh and Swain, the former Tennessee head coach and athletics director made a proclamation — “Nico is for real.”
“Nico is for real. I’ve been around a lot of good ones. But Nico is really, really special.”
Hall of Fame coach Phillip Fulmer told us why he’s a believer in Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava. ⬇️https://t.co/fLk30LHSHW pic.twitter.com/VIMTER14Dl
— Josh and Swain (@JoshandSwain) August 13, 2024
“This young guy now, Nico is for real, he is,” Fulmer said this week during an appearance on 99.1 WNML-FM in Knoxville. “He’s for real. I’ve been around a lot of good ones. But this guy is really, really special. We’ve just got to keep him healthy. And keep the younger ones coming too. But if he stays healthy, it could be very exciting offensive football team, which leads to a really exciting football team.”
The former five-star prospect takes over this season under center, looking to build off of an electric performance during his first start in the Citrus Bowl against Iowa. Bowl season gave him a chance to really settle into a leadership role and prepare as the starter, and that’s run into the spring and summer months. Now with fall camp in full swing, it’s almost go-time for his first full season in Knoxville as the guy with the keys to the car.
“He’s got such confidence to him, about him,” Fulmer continued. “He looks you in the eye, shakes your hand, he knows who you are. And he gets in the huddle or on the line of scrimmage and he’s in tune, gets everybody aligned and everything. So hopefully we’ll play like we practice. And we’ll stay healthy.”
Iamaleava finished the bowl win with a 12-19 mark, throwing for 151 and a touchdown in a runaway victory. He added 27 yards on the ground and scored three more times as the Vols disposed of the Hawkeyes. Iamaleava will get a bit of a warmup in the opener as Tennessee welcomes Chattanooga to town — and then things really get real. Iamaleava will lead the Volunteers to Charlotte to face NC State on September 7th for his next true test.
The hype is certainly there for Iamaleava, as evidenced by his appearance in the Heisman Trophy odds. Now you can add Phillip Fulmer to that long, growing list of believers.