Hendon Hooker knows a thing or two about good quarterback play. The Tennessee standout had one of the greatest seasons in program history in 2022, when he threw for 3135 yards with 27 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions in 11 games.
However, Hooker sees some very big things for quarterback Nico Iamaleava, and he’s got a very unique nickname for the young quarterback that came in as Hooker was leaving.
Hooker thumbed that out at 2:32 pm ET on Monday, just as the Vols were about to take a 14-0 lead into the locker room. It was the halfway point of a truly impressive first career start for Iamaleava.
The Vols got to that point on Iamaleava’s legs. He scrambled in for a 19-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to give Tennessee a 7-0 lead. On the Vols’ next possession, he found the end zone again from 3 yards out, and Tennessee was in control.
And it’s that last word that best describes Iamaleava’s performance throughout the game: control. The true freshman looked absolutely nothing like one on Monday. He was calm and poised in the pocket when he dropped back. He managed to evade pressure while keeping his eyes down the field and showing no hesitation to take what was there on the ground. He showed good touch on his passes and avoided making a critical mistake.
And the result was a four-touchdown game MVP performance out of the young signal caller in a 35-0 Tennessee win. In his first game running the offense against one of the best defenses in all of college football, the hyped freshman showed the country why he was so highly touted coming out of high school and why Tennessee fans have been so excited about seeing him take over.
After the game, Iamaleavea was appreciative of the praise from Hooker.
“Hendon and Joe – when I first got here, they welcomed me with open arms. It feels great to get love from guys like that. Guys that set this university at the standard it is right now. I’m just really appreciative of those guys.”
Vol fans hope that Hooker is right. That Iamaleava is indeed the Chosen One that will take the Vols back to the promised land of college football.