Former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava is entering his second year with Tennessee football but this off-season is much different than his first.
While he spent year one learning under Joe Milton III and preparing to be the backup. Now, he is the unquestioned starter and learning everything that goes into filling that position.
This includes stepping up as a leader given the territory that comes with the position.
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"Quarterback position, got the ball in your hands, everybody is paying attention to that position," said Vols coach Josh Heupel. "Better have some of those (leadership) traits right from the jump. The hard thing as a young quarterback on the leadership side of it is you're still pushing extremely hard on the fundamentals, the growth and mastering of our offense, mastering what's going on on the other side of the ball."
Where Iamaleava is at in his development as a leader is excelling in one-on-one situations. When talking directly to a teammate, he knows how to communicate in this regard.
The area he is looking to grow in is being a leader amongst the entire roster. There is a skill in having your voice heard throughout the team that he is still working on improving.
Heupel did make sure to note this is common among young quarterbacks. There is a progression of leadership that begins with one-on-one interaction and can transform into controlling the locker room.
"He does a phenomenal job in one-on-one situations," said Heupel. "Communication with wide receivers after a series, offensive line. The growth, his voice within our entire program, he's got to continue to grow in that role. That's something that's true for every young quarterback, though. Expect him to continue to mold into that."
Outside of his leadership, Heupel also expects growth on the field. As he learns what it takes to start 12 games as an SEC quarterback, there are things that he will have to pick up on starting with spring practice.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Spring Practice Central: Everything from Tennessee football's first day
Not only will Iamaleava have to change his game in some small ways, but he will also change Heupel's offense. The head coach isn't afraid of making adjustments to better suit is signal caller.
This period is perfect for these changes. It's a good time to analyze what is going to work, and not work, and adapt with plenty of time before taking the field for games that count.
"Knowing who Nico is, but also knowing that he is still growing as a player," said Heupel. "Some core principles, some things that we believe in that we feel like we need to have. Going to continue to grow in that. Some subtle things that we'll add just based off of the player that he is and how we can put him in a position to be successful. But also, help us grow and change from year-to-year, too. So, we'll tinker with some of that through spring ball, figure out the things we feel like are best for us collectively and for him. Kind of honing in on those things as we get into training camp."
Spring practice will accumulate in a scrimmage in front of fans at Neyland Stadium on April 13. The annual Orange & White Game will feature a rotation of quarterbacks but will also be the first public look at what this team has to offer.
It's safe to assume all eyes will be on Iamaleava as he takes the field as a starter.
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