Spring football is here, and all eyes in Knoxville are on one man—Nico Iamaleava. The Tennessee QB showed flashes of brilliance last season, but now, Josh Heupel wants more. The sophomore QB had his moments in 2024 when he stepped up in huge wins over Alabama and Florida. He led a comeback against Vanderbilt from a 14-0 deficit to punch the Vols’ first-ever playoff ticket. Now his HC has a couple of challenges for his young QB. The goal? Turn him from a promising playmaker into a true offensive leader. 

On March 12’s episode on On3, J.D. PicKell delivered some early spring intel on Tennessee. And his discussion revolved around Josh Heupel’s expectations for Nico Iamaleava in his second year. “He is being challenged by Josh Heupel,” he said. “Now, that is not a negative thing. That just means that you see greatness in a guy, and you want to bring it out of him. So it’s a two-prong challenge from what I’ve been told. The first is they want him to be a guy that’s a tone setter for this team offensively.” Plainly speaking, step up as a leader.

Tennessee lost key vocal presences in Dylan Sampson and Cooper Mays—guys who set the tone for the offense. And now, what Josh Heupel and the Vols would love to see is “Nico kind of get out of his comfort zone in some sense and be that vocal leader to a degree.” Not just by making plays but by commanding the huddle, firing up his teammates, and setting the standard for the offense. 

Last season’s playoff showdown against Ohio State is an example of great leadership. Despite taking a beating from Ryan Day’s national championship team, Nico Iamaleava never wavered. He carried the ball 20 times and battled through adversity with no bad body language. 

“The second challenge is for him to progress as a decision-maker,” PicKell continued. It’s all about efficiency. While his 2024 stats were decent—63.8% completion rate, 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns, and five interceptions—Tennessee’s passing attack suffered a setback. “Not that Nico was a bad decision-maker,” he said. “But there were many times where, as a college football fan, you’re watching the broadcast drop back to pass, looking, looking, looking, kind of double clutches now.” Too often, drives stalled because the football didn’t come out on time. And Josh Heupel echoes these sentiments.

Josh Heupel’s expectations for Nico Iamaleava 

The bar is set high for Nico Iamaleava heading into Year 2. Josh Heupel didn’t mince words when laying out the checklist for his QB’s growth this offseason. “Command and control of what we’re doing offensively,” the HC said. “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 at. I like a lot of what he did. There’s some areas that I was just talking about that he can be better at.” 

Nico Iamaleava will be working with a new receiving corps after key departures, but that won’t be an excuse. He has the physical tools to be one of the best QBs in the country. Now, it’s about mastering the finer details—command, leadership, and decision-making. Josh Heupel’s challenge has been issued. Spring practice is just the beginning. By the time the season kicks off, Tennessee expects him to be more than just a playmaker. They need him to be the heartbeat of the offense.

Time will tell if Nico Iamaleava is ready.