ORLANDO, Fla. — Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, Luke Skywalker ... Nico Iamaleava?
According to former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, the Vols' freshman signal caller can join that group as 'the chosen one.'
He tweeted this remark in the midst of Tennessee's 35-0 win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl.
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"I think Hendon and Joe (Milton), when I first got here, they welcomed me with open arms, man," said Iamaleava on the tweet. "Yeah, it feels good to get love from guys like that, guys that set this university at the standard it is right now. I am really appreciative of those guys."
What prompted Hooker's tweet was an impressive debut as Tennessee's starting quarterback for Iamaleava.
Against a highly regarded Iowa defense, he punched it in three times on the ground and once through the air. He was responsible for 178 total yards of offense, as well.
Head coach Josh Heupel was pleased with his quarterback's performance. He knows there's room to grow, but can see that the future is bright.
"I believe he is going to be a great, dynamic playmaker," said Heupel. "I thought he handled himself composed all day long. Subtle things of breaking the huddle, communication inside of the huddle, controlling the run game, his eyes were in the right place. Great to see a young guy go out and perform in that way in his first career start. There are a lot of things that Nico can continue to grow and will continue to grow in."
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Iamaleava impresses, defense dominates in Vols' Citrus Bowl rout of Iowa
Heupel has emphasized that this game is the start to their 2024 season on top of the cap to the 2023 campaign. Iamaleava has been focused on the Citrus Bowl and not the future, but admits it could be bright.
He knows that they just have to go out and execute.
"We have a great team around us, great coaching staff, and I really think the sky is the limit for this team," said Iamaleava. "It is up to us to go out there and get it done."
Now, Iamaleava has a full game of film to work with in the off-season, as well. However, Heupel joked that he'll show him the clips from his playing days first.
The 19-year-old used this as an opportunity to take a jab back at his coach.
"Got the black and white film, man," said Iamaleava.
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