ORLANDO, Fla. — Tennessee's Cheez-It Citrus Bowl clash with Iowa should offer at least a glimpse of the Vols' 2024 prospects.

Transfer portal exits and NFL Draft opt outs will give No. 21 Tennessee (8-4) a bit of a different look on both sides of the ball when it kicks off at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on New Year's Day.

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Offensively, highly touted freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava will get his first start while a number of members of the Vols' secondary will get the fist significant playing time of their young careers.

Standing between Tennessee and a nine win season is a Hawkeyes (10-3) team that finished as the Big Ten runner-up and features one of the best defenses in college football.

Here is a closer look at the match up.

Who: No. 17 Iowa (10-3) vs. No. 21 Tennessee (8-4)

When: Monday, Jan. 1 | 1 p.m. ET

Where: Camping World Stadium | Orlando, Florida

TV: ABC (Dave Flemming, play-by-play; Brock Osweiler analyst; Kayla Burton, reporter)

Line: Tennessee -5.5

ESPN Matchup Predictor: Tennessee 70.6%

Series: Tennessee leads, 2-1

-- Tennessee returns to the Citrus Bowl for the first time in more than 20 years. The Vols are set for their 55th bowl appearance and their sixth in the Citrus Bowl where they are 4-1 all-time.

-- Tennessee thumped Vanderbilt, 48-24 behind 617 yards of total offense and quarterback Joe Miton III six touchdowns. The Vols finished 4-4 in SEC play, marking the first time since 1989-2004 that the program was gone. 500 or better in three seasons in the league.

-- Tennessee has appeared in three-straight bowl games under head coach Josh Heupel. The Vols lost to Music City Bowl to Purdue in 2021 and beat Clemson in the Orange Bowl last December.

WATCH ON VOLREPORT: Josh Heupel, Kirk Ferentz talk ahead of Citrus Bowl

-- Milton has played his last snap at Tennessee. The senior quarterback opted out last week in preparation for the NFL Draft, finishing the season 229-of-354 passing for 2,813 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions.

-- Iowa dropped its last game to Michigan, 26-0 in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Hawkeyes mustered just 156 yards of total offensive, including 36 passing yards.

-- Iowa is playing in its third Citrus Bowl and its 13th January bowl game under head coach Kirk Ferentz. He is currently tied with former Penn State coach Joe Paterno in bowl victories among Big Ten teams with 10.

TENNESSEE:

Nico Iamaleava, QB

Stats: 16-of-26 passing, 163 yards, 1 TD, 73.5 QBR

Dylan Sampson, RB

Stats: 86 carries, 471 yards, 7 TDs, 5.5 AVG

Squirrel White, WR

Stats: 64 receptions, 764 yards, 2 TDs, 11.9 AVG

James Pearce Jr., DL

Stats: 29 tackles, 13 TFL, 8.5 sacks

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Everything Josh Heupel, Kirk Ferentz said ahead of the Citrus Bowl

IOWA:

Deacon Hill, QB

Stats: 115-of-233 passing, 1,096 yards, 5 TDs, 6 INTs, 22.9 QBR

Leshon Williams, RB

Stats: 164 carries, 804 yards, 1 TD, 4.3 AVG

Jay Higgins, LB

Stats: 155 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack

Tory Taylor, P

Stats: 86 punts, 47.9 AVG

36: The number of sacks that the Tennessee defense has accounted for this season. It ranks third in the SEC and is tied for 11th nationally. The Vols have recorded at least one sack in 16-straight games.

93: The number of tackles for loss from Tennessee this season. The Vols are second in the conference have produced 4.0 TFLs in 24 consecutive games dating back to the 2022 season.

22: The number of games that the Tennessee offense has produced 200 or more rushing yards under Heupel. The Vols have totaled that number in seven of 12 games this season. They are 20-2 in those games.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Vols DC Tim Banks leads Tennessee into clash against weak Iowa offense

13.2: The average number of points that the Iowa defense has allowed per game this season. The Hawkeyes have given up just five touchdowns over the last 28 quarters and seven touchdowns in the last 36 quarters.

71: The number of games that Iowa has won when leading by eight or more points in a game dating back to the 2015 season. The Hawkeyes have lost just twice when leading by eight or more in that span.

47.9: The average number of yards per punt from Tory Taylor. The Iowa punter, who won the Ray Guy Award last month, leads the nation in total punts with 86 this season.

Iamaleava's first start: With Milton's opt out, Iamaleava moves into the starting role for this first time in his career. A five-star signee in Tennessee's 2023 class, Iamaleava has appeared in four games this season. He will be the fourth freshman to start for the Vols in a bowl game all-time, joining Peyton Manning (1994 Gator Bowl), Casey Clausen (2001 Cotton Bowl) and Tyler Bray (2010 Music City Bowl).

Opportunity for young secondary: Tennessee lost multiple starters in its secondary to the transfer portal, including Doneiko Slaughter and Tamarion McDonald, leaving a void to fill. A number of freshmen will see their first significant action against an Iowa offense that averages just 123.3 yards per game. The only two returning starters are corner Gabe Jeudy-Lally and safety Jaylen McCollough.

Sampson spearheads backfield: Tennessee's offense has leaned heavily on its run game this season. The Vols are averaging more than 200 yards per game but leading rusher Jaylen Wright is jetting for the NFL, as is Jabari Small. That moves sophomore Dylan Sampson into the starting spot with freshmen Cam Seldon and Kahlifa Keith expected to get more carries behind him.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Vols' Dylan Sampson set for first start in Citrus Bowl clash with Iowa

Iowa thrives on defense: Tennessee's new-look offense will face as stern of a test as it can with a new quarterback. The Hawkeyes ranks top 10 nationally in total defense, holding opponents to 13.2 points and 102.5 rushing yards per game, which could pose problems for the Vols.

Special teams could change game: No team has punted more than Iowa this season. The Hawkeyes lead college football with 86 punts this season. Taylor averages more than 47 yards per punt and can flip the filed. Tennessee features one of the most explosive returners in Dee Williams, who has one return for a touchdown this season.

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