In Citrus Bowl Nico Iamaleava Lives Up to the Presence

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava earned Citrus Bowl MVP honors after an impressive performance against the Iowa Hawkeyes in his first career start….

In recent memory, Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava had one of the more hyped starting debuts. Fans had sky-high expectations of the true freshman, and he exceeded them in shining fashion in the Citrus Bowl. Iamaleava accounted for four touchdowns in a 35-0 rout of the No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes, who had a top-5 defense in every major statistical category entering play.

The offseason is almost underway for Tennessee football. The Vols have concluded the regular season and are now focusing on roster construction for the 2023 season. Volunteer Country has fans covered with all the latest portal entries and NFL Draft declarations. The portal window is from December 4 until January 2. If players don’t transfer within that window, they must wait until May following spring practice to enter the transfer portal.

As first reported by VolQuest, Tennessee starting quarterback Joe Milton III has opted out of the Citrus Bowl, leaving blue-chip freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava as their starter. Iamaleava was the No. 2 prospect in the 2023 cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Iamaleava has seen action in four contests this season but will get an extended run against one of the best defenses in college football