Urban Meyer Believes Freshman Quarterback Could Lead Historic SEC Program To First College Football Playoff Berth

On Wednesday's episode of " The Triple Option " podcast, Urban Meyer praised Tennessee Volunteers freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava's performance in the program's Week 1 victory, stating that Iamaleava could lead Tennessee to a College Football Playoff appearance.

Iamaleava had a historic performance Saturday, August 31, against the Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs by setting a new school record for passing yards in one half with 314 and three touchdowns in the Volunteer's 69-3 victory.

The Volunteers will have a much more difficult foe in Week 2 when they face the No. 24-ranked NC State Wolfpack from Charlotte, NC in the Duke's Mayo Classic, but Meyer did not let the mismatched Week 1 opponent take away from Iamaleava's performance.

"NC State, really good coach. Dave Doeren. Very tough place to play,” Meyer said. “However, I went back and watched Tennessee. They have a quarterback that I called Matt Leinart and Brady Quinn this morning after watching this thing. His name’s Nico Iamaleava. It’s Tennessee-Chatanooga, so they were overmatched. They were so much better. But this guy, as far as a body type to stand there athletically and throw the ball, the ball came out like a missile.

“He was a five-star in high school. I asked, ‘Is he a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft?’ to Brady and Matt and they said obviously, he’s got another year left. This guy is unbelievable. I know they had Joe Milton last year, but this guy is a monster. Because of him, I’m putting them to cover the spread and I think they’ll be a playoff team.”

Iamaleava redshirted last season after joining the Volunteers as the No. 1 quarterback and No. 6 overall player in the 2023 recruiting cycle.

Iamaleava made his first career start last season in the 2023 Citrus Bowl, where he scored four touchdowns, including three on the ground, and threw for 151 yards. Iamaleava's performance in the Vols' 35-0 Citrus Bowl victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes also earned him the bowl game's MVP.

With the dazzling performance in Week 1, it appears Tennessee may have another star behind center, and Mayer certainly believes Iamaleava can take the program to new heights this fall.

The No.14-ranked Volunteers' game on Sept. 7 against the No. 24-ranked NC State Wolfpack from Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium is set for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff and will air on ABC.