Doubt Lingers Over Nico Iamaleava’s QB1 Status as Josh Heupel Fights for Tennessee’s Respect
Something feels off in Knoxville. Tennessee football, a program that once roared back into relevance under Josh Heupel, now finds itself strangely overlooked. Just two years ago, the Vols were the talk of the SEC—knocking off Alabama, winning 11 games, and making a case for a College Football Playoff spot. Fast forward to 2025, and the excitement has evaporated. No buzz. No expectations. No national hype. Just an unsettling silence that has Tennessee fans bristling with frustration.
The disrespect isn’t just a feeling—it’s tangible. The Vols didn’t make splashy offseason moves like their SEC rivals. They didn’t grab a headline-stealing transfer quarterback or land a game-changing superstar from the portal. Instead, they doubled down on roster retention, keeping key players but failing to add enough firepower to impress the rankings. The result? A brutal No. 88 transfer class ranking from 247 Sports—dead last in the SEC. And just like that, Tennessee found itself left out of the national conversation.
But beyond the transfer talk, another question looms even larger: Did Tennessee mishandle Nico Iamaleava’s development? The five-star quarterback, once hailed as the future of the program, spent most of last season on the bench. Would the Vols be in a different place now if they had committed to him earlier?
Did Tennessee Hold Nico Iamaleava Back?
The debate over Iamaleava’s late start isn’t going away. Some argue Tennessee made the right call easing him in, while others believe Heupel’s caution may have cost them valuable momentum heading into 2025.
Eric Gain of Locked On Vols weighed in, acknowledging that Iamaleava was raw in 2023—both physically and mentally. “I’m not going to say Tennessee messed up by not playing Nico from game one. You’re talking about a true freshman who was still very raw,” Gain explained. “I know he looks skinny right now, but he’s put on a lot of weight since then.”
That reasoning made sense early on, but as the season progressed, the argument got murkier. Joe Milton, the veteran starter, played some of his best football against Alabama and Kentucky, making it tough to justify a midseason switch. But was Tennessee playing it too safe?
A major factor in Iamaleava’s delayed debut was Tennessee’s shaky offensive line. Gain pointed out the issue, stating, “Why didn’t Nico start from day one? Look at the tackle situation. There wasn’t another viable option where you could just say, ‘Tennessee will be fine with that guy.’” In other words, the Vols may have been protecting their young quarterback from a brutal baptism by fire.
Now, heading into 2025, the question remains: Has Tennessee done enough to fix the issues that kept Iamaleava on the bench? The Vols didn’t go all-in on offensive line help in the transfer portal, adding only a handful of pieces—Arizona OL Windell Moe, Notre Dame OL Sam Pendleton, and Duke RB Star Thomas. Meanwhile, their SEC rivals were loading up with blue-chip transfers.
The Vols might have their QB of the future, but will the talent around him be enough?
Josh Heupel’s Redemption Shot: Beat Alabama or Bust
Despite the doubts, Tennessee isn’t out of the fight yet. ESPN has already circled one matchup as the defining moment of their season—a game that could make or break their entire year.
The Third Saturday in October. Tennessee vs. Alabama. In Tuscaloosa.
Tennessee sits at No. 19 in ESPN’s “way-too-early” Top 25, and analyst Harry Lyles Jr. didn’t hold back. “The Third Saturday in October is officially back,” he wrote. The Vols snapped a 15-year losing streak against the Tide in 2022, and they’ve won two of the last three meetings. But this year? The battle moves back to enemy territory.
For Heupel, this is the moment. Win, and Tennessee is back in the national spotlight. Lose, and the whispers about his program’s decline will only grow louder.
No more excuses. No more waiting. If Tennessee wants respect, it has to take it.
