Tennessee will enter its fifth season in the Josh Heupel era this fall when the Vols line up across from Syracuse in the season opener from Atlanta, GA.
Until then, though, we’re looking at the numerous storylines around this Tennessee team as the Vols go through spring camp workouts over the next handful of weeks.
Need a good story to follow? Pick one of several: Tennessee’s cornerback room with Rickey Gibson III at practice on Friday, the wide receiver room’s overhaul and the emergence of sophomore Mike Matthews, Boo Carter’s position this spring, the list goes on and on.
But one undeniable current storyline is the continued development of quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who will certainly eat up a lot of conversation time from analysts and fans over the next six months.
The rising redshirt junior is entering his second full season as the Vols’ starting quarterback. During his first season at the helm in 2024, Iamaleava threw for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just five interceptions while leading his team to the College Football Playoffs.
Optimism is high surrounding Tennessee’s quarterback entering the spring, but that doesn’t mean that Heupel doesn’t have a checklist for his signal caller.
When asked what Iamaleava’s “to-do list” was this spring, here’s what Heupel said:
“Yeah, command and control of what we’re doing offensively, better with his eyes, fundamental position to be accurate with the football, leadership. It’s the checklist of playing the quarterback position, all of those things. He’s got a chance to continue to get better. Like a lot of what he did. There’s some areas that, you know, that I was just talking about, that he can be better at. And as a quarterback, a big part of your job is creating urgency for the 10 guys around you to play at a really high level, too.”
More from RTI: Tennessee Football Spring Notes And Observations: Practice No. 1
One storyline that popped up from time to time ahead of Iamaleava’s 2024 season was the question of leadership traits. Over the course of the season, that leadership question was answered on the field by the respect that Iamaleava commanded from his teammates and opponents and the toughness with which he played.
“That leadership role, it’s not just verbally,” Heupel continued on to say about Iamaleava. “It’s how you’re accelerating the mindset and the growth of guys around you. So all those things play into what he has been working on and what he’s gotta continue to do throughout the course of the offseason.”
One of the sets of eyes that are on Iamaleava this spring is from freshman quarterback George MacIntyre, a four-star prospect from the 2025 recruiting class. MacIntyre arrived in Knoxville as an early enrollee in December and clicked with the Vols’ starter at his position.
“He’s been great since I got here,” MacIntyre, donning No. 15 in his first spring, said of Iamaleava on Friday. “If I ever need help with anything, I can ask him. He’s easy to come talk to.”
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Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football spring camp coverage after the Vols kicked off the slate with practice No. 1 on Friday morning from Knoxville.
Check out Josh Heupel’s full press conference from Friday below:
