National recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna tabbed Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava the top second-year quarterback for the 2024 college football season, beating out the likes of Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold and Kansas State’s Avery Johnson. Petagna said Iamaleava is a perfect fit in Josh Heupel’s offense and is a fan of the pieces the Volunteers have put around their young signal-caller.
“I love the fit with Nico at Tennessee,” Petagna said Wednesday, via the College Football Recruiting show. “The roster is at a perfect balance right now. I love what they have at the skill positions and what they’re surrounding him with. They went out and got a former five-star tackle in Lance Heard to help protect him. I’m riding with Nico.
The former five-star recruit rated as the No. 2 overall prospect in the class of 2023 and is the highest-rated quarterback to commit to Tennessee in the modern recruiting era. Iamaleava saw extended action in the Volunteers’ 35-0 win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl and turned heads with how easily he dissected the Hawkeyes’ vaunted defense. He completed 12-of-19 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 27 yards and three scores.
There was so much more there from a running standpoint that I did not think he was capable of,” Petagna said. “It is going to be interesting to see whether Josh Heupel leans on his legs at times. I expect Nico to very, very quickly become one of the faces of college football.
Petagna compared Iamaleava’s pocket presence and quick feet to former Heisman Trophy winner and 2023 No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Bryce Young. However, Iamaleava, at 6-foot-6, won’t face the same concerns over his stature that Young did at Alabama, according to Petagna.
“The best way I can describe Nico is he has Justin Herbert’s frame with Bryce Young’s pocket mobility,” Petagna said. “He has that improv magic.
