Vols freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava in line to redshirt

During the past two weeks, Tennessee fell into an insurmountable deficit late in losses.

In these moments, the bench was largely cleared to give playing time to different freshmen and young players who rarely see the field.

However, one position stayed steady. Quarterback Joe Milton III stayed in control of the offense as five-star freshman Nico Iamaleava watched from the sideline.

The answer to why this was the case was hinted at by Josh Heupel after the 38-10 loss to Georgia on Saturday.

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To qualify for a redshirt, a player is only allowed to appear in four or less regular season games. This does not include a bowl game and only takes into account the initial 12 matches on a team's schedule.

So far, Iamaleava has appeared in three matches. He got reps in blowout wins over Virginia and UTSA before throwing for his first touchdown against UConn.

With just a single game left on the schedule, Iamaleava will have played in a maximum of four games putting him in the position to have four years of eligibility after this season instead of just three.

“At this point, just because there’s only one regular season (game)," said Heupel. "You know, I mean there’s a lot of variables that are taking place outside on that field today and what type of situation you want to put them in.”

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Vols fall flat against No. 1 Georgia

While Iamaleava was ranked as the No. 2 player in his recruiting class and is projected to enter the NFL Draft after his third collegiate season, the option of the additional year is always appreciated.

Instead of having just three years to prove himself, he will have four to make an impact and get his footing before attempting a career at the next level.

Next year, Iamaleava will likely be the starting quarterback for the Vols. With Milton out of eligibility and no other scholarship signal callers on the roster, the spot is Iamaleava's to lose barring an incoming transfer.

He has two additional games this season including the bowl to prepare for his redshirt freshman year, as well.

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