Why Nico Iamaleava will still be Tennessee football’s biggest X-factor in 2024…

It should come as no surprise that Tennessee football has had a recruiting bonanza over the past two weeks. However, those are guys who are committed to the long term. But right now, one of Heupel’s top prospects is expected to have a breakout year in his first year of starting.

That guy is, of course, quarterback Nico Iamaleava, whom Heupel enticed to Knoxville the previous season as a consensus five-star recruit. Under Heupel’s leadership, Iamaleava appears to be the first in a long line of highly regarded quarterbacks to wear orange and white.

Iamaleava’s potential this year should excite you much, especially considering what Heupel did to make former Virginia Tech, now Detroit Lions backup, Hendon Hooker into a Heisman Trophy contender prior to his season-ending injury in his final season with Tennessee football.

Some people have been so focused on Iamaleava that they’ve forgotten about the other talented members of this year’s Volunteers team.

Not only does Nico Iamaleava have an x-factor, but more than one player shares it. It covers the whole defensive line for Tennessee football, which is led by junior James Pearce Jr., a player who is expected to be selected in the first round of the next NFL Draft. Although McElroy noted that the team lost ten defensive backs from the previous year, he also pointed out that given the secondary’s inconsistent performance in the previous campaign, this turnover may not be as bad as it sounds.