Tennessee Vols redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava is 7-1 through his first eight games as a starter UT.
Despite the impressive record, there are still some fans and media who have been overly-critical of the young quarterback.
Iamaleava’s made some incredible plays his season that show why he was a five-star recruit coming out of high school in California. He’s also had some bad throws and decisions that he’d like to have back. It’s part of the development process for any quarterback.
One comment that I’ve seen from fans on social media is that former Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker must’ve been a superior talent because he hit on more deep balls during his two seasons at Tennessee.
Hooker was unquestionably elite at throwing the deep ball, but it’s not fair to compare him to Iamaleava at this point of Nico’s career.
Hooker was a fifth-year senior at Tennessee in 2021 and a sixth-year senior in 2022. He had four years of collegiate experience before he ever stepped foot in Knoxville.