Tennessee’s quarterback, Nicholaus Iamaleava Jr., is a unique NCAA player who has enjoyed his high school education in two schools. He started his freshman year at Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, CA. Then, he moved to Downey, California, and completed his junior and sophomore years at Warren High School. But he again changed his mind in March 2022 and decided to play his final season with Poly.

He chose to return to Poly because his commitment to the team led him to win the Polynesian Football Player of the Year title. The five-star quarterback was born on September 2, 2004, in an athletic family in California.

Two high schools for Nicholaus Iamaleava Jr.

Iamaleava decided to change his high school for his sophomore season because of the team environment. His father commented, “He just felt more comfortable at Warren. We’ve always had a good relationship with coach Pearson, and Nico is still tight with all of the players there.”

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he could only play four games with the team. But in his last season as a junior with Warren’s, he showcased his agility on the field, completed nine games with the school, and had a remarkable 331/1 touchdown to interception ratio.

As a senior with Poly, he threw for 1,726 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also rushed for six touchdowns. His incredible skills and game plan helped him earn the MVP of the Polynesian Bowl. His time with Polys was the best for him and his family because he not only won some titles but was also rated as one of the top players in the class of 2023. Iamaleava’s popularity in the school and his impressive stats helped him join the University of Tennessee. He joined the Volunteers for their 2023 season as the No. 1 prep player in the country.

The Iamaleavas, an athletic family

The 19-year-old quarterback is the son of Nicholaus Sr. and Marleinna Iamaleava. His family consists of nine members: his parents and seven siblings, Nicaylah, Matt, Madden, McKennah, Ninalei, Mallory, and Nori. As a football player, he is fortunate to come from a sports-driven family that understands and values his sport.

Nicholas Sr. has served as an assistant coach at Warren High School. As a parent and coach, he implants strong athletic values in all his children. Marleinna Iamaleava is a very strong lady, the mother of eight children. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2020. Still, fortunately, because the disease was detected in the early stages, it was curable only with the help of her bravery and strong mentality of not giving up.

Matt is his older brother, one of the country’s top high school volleyball players. His sister, Nicaylah, also played volleyball at Cypress College. His other brother, Madden, is doing so well in his football career and is now one of the top quarterbacks for the 2025 season.