Nico Iamaleava’s mounting potential has become a major talking point heading to the 2025 regular season. Tennessee had a majorly flawed season in the last year. The devastating loss to the Buckeyes ended Tennessee’s feeble attempt to reverse the trend. Josh Heupel didn’t have any justification for what went wrong in an underproductive offense and a slow defense. Well, the one thing where he actually owes zero justification is the growth of Nico Iamaleava into a massive star of national prominence. Iamaleava has both consistency and talent. He might have failed to deliver what was needed to pull out the win, but he showed promise for the loading season.

But the path has a lot of bumps blocking the view. Whether or not Josh Heupel can turn his promising $8m QB phenom into a massive superstar will partially depend on how well the coach can adapt to Deion Sanders’ Travis Hunter strategy.

Nico Iamaleava asked for a major self-favor as an injury precaution

Travis Hunter has been a super athlete in Boulder with a massive season under his belt. Hunter etched his name into a perpetual legacy as his breakout season for the Buffaloes makes rounds all over the media. The wide receiver/cornerback amassed a total of 1,360 total snaps, but his numbers didn’t look like a burden, nevertheless. Hunter led the Big 12 in catches (96) and second in pass breakups (11) while finishing second nationally in receiving touchdowns (15) and fourth nationally in receiving yards (1,258). He had to pay off later for the reckless use of his legs and arms. I mean, sure, these lofty snaps earned him the coveted Heisman odds backed by the numbers, but it cost him a few games due to the injury horror during a game against Kansas State.

However, Deion Sanders later paid attention to protecting Hunter on the field as a heavy NFL allurement was looming in. While Iamaleava still has one year at hand before he can earn draft eligibility, the protection still makes sense about having him healthy for the team until the end of a season. Drawing a parallel between these two stars and programs, Brent Hubbs of Chase Thomas said, ”They were kind of protective a little bit of Travis Hunter from some of the physicality when playing that many snaps again. I think he’s a terrific player. I am not saying he couldn’t handle that, but if you are gonna play a guy 150 snaps a game, you have to be mindful. It’s the same thing with running Nico, I mean, we don’t want him to get hurt.”

Nico Iamaleava has issues underneath. The passing attack was largely absent during the season, throwing for below 170 yards four times. He is not a finished product. He has to develop into a consistent contributor to the offense. All of these debates made sense. But the major responsibility he had for himself was to protect and preserve.

It’s not just about the coach who did it all for him. He should also be extra careful on the gridiron. ‘‘Legs are a part of his offense at the quarterback position; he is using his legs I mean, he is more effective, so you are gonna have to call some stuff for him; he is gonna have to learn how to slide, not take the hits, get down and protect yourself better,” insider Brent Hubbs added.

How does Nico Iamaleava stand out from the competition among the SEC’s top-tier players? Well, Arch Manning’s buzz raises concern.

Nico Iamaleava receives a blow in the 2025 projected top QBs list 

Veteran analyst SEC Mike said he was initially confused about whether or not to put Nico into the SEC top 25 quarterback list. But, after analyzing all the odds, he remains skeptical about the promising quarterback for the Vols. ”I love Tennessee, you know but maybe that’s part of why I am frustrated and I had higher expectations. I am not saying I felt hidden hooker 2.0 coming, but I thought we would see signs, flashes of it, and there were some moments I am not going to take away from. But is he top 25? 16 teams, trying to find 25 players, I don’t know, I think Nico still has a little work to do there,” Mike divulged during an interpretive 2025 SEC QB room discussion.

Conversely, he offers a valuable perspective on Arch Manning, the potential starter for the Longhorns in the upcoming season. Manning has earned his position with a lot of going back and forth compared to Quinn Ewers. He got to start a couple of games last year as Ewers took a backseat during his injury and instilled in the crowd the relentless craze that keeps on advocating a starting spot for him.

Finally, Ewers left for the NFL, and Manning got the stage. There is no way he can let the golden opportunity grow after an intense wait of two years under the shadow. ”There is a lot of momentum behind Arch Manning, and he will be and I’m a firm believer at the end of the season in contention to be one,’‘ SEC mogul Shane validated Manning on the same podcast.

In a twisted comparison of reality, as long as Nico is protected, rest assured he is on the race!