Tennessee Vols’ past season has gone largely neutral. Although they occasionally displayed signs of potential as a formidable team, they were unable to sustain their momentum for an extended period. However, they were still running higher than the initial expectation of standing behind Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU, and others. Finishing third in the SEC and a first-round playoff ticket has never been the worst jab to take for an underwhelming program, to be honest, but one guy that made the equation a lot more thought-provoking than ever. Yes, we are addressing Nico Iamaleava here.

Heading into a 2025 season, the prominent budding talent of Knoxville makes a lot of heads turn but with a lot of weight on his shoulders.

Nico Iamaleava received more reminders about his role with the Vols next season

Nico’s offensive line failed to protect him in the big games. If you look at Heupel’s $8m QB’s 2616 yards and 19 touchdowns on a competitive streak with Ward’s 4313 and 39 touchdowns, you will realize how he lagged in producing numbers. Of course, he is not a finished product, and we should have kept our expectations in check. When you have a superstar prospect, a 6-6 frame with long, sturdy arms and a smooth release, it’s just to indulge in dreams.