How does Tennessee football's Nico Iamaleava compare to other SEC QB Heisman candidates | Adams

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava was regarded as a Heisman Trophy candidate before he started his first regular-season game. But he wouldn’t be the first SEC quarterback to win the award in his first season as a starter.

Florida’s Tim Tebow won the Heisman as a sophomore in 2007, a year after playing a prominent role as a backup on Florida’s 2006 national championship team. Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel won the award in 2012 as a redshirt freshman.

As a redshirt freshman, Iamaleava has done nothing to lower expectations that he could be a Heisman finalist. In Tennessee’s season-opening 69-3 rout of Chattanooga, Iamaleava completed his first 10 passes and finished the game 22-of-28 passing for 314 yards and three touchdowns, even though he played only one half.

In his second game, against NC State on Saturday , Iamaleava completed 16 of 23 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns. His first two games have produced similar stats to what Tebow and Manziel achieved in their first two games of their Heisman seasons.

Tebow was 31-of-42 passing for 536 yards and six touchdowns in is first two games in 2007. He also rushed for 131 yards total in his first two games.

In 2012, Manziel started the season by completing 44 of 66 passes for 467 yards and four touchdowns in his first two games. He gained another 184 yards rushing.

But Iamaleava isn’t competing against Manziel and Tebow. He is competing against other SEC quarterbacks, though. The conference has never had more quarterbacks who are legitimate Heisman candidates.

In fact, the SEC is so stacked with talented quarterbacks, it will be easier to become a first-round NFL draft pick than to make first-or second-team All-SEC.

Not only is the league as deep as it has ever been at quarterbacks, it’s also chockfull of offensive-minded coaches, whose systems are extremely quarterback friendly.

Those quarterbacks have something else going for them: enough complementary talent to qualify their team as a playoff contender.

Just two weeks into the season, it’s obvious more than half the SEC teams have exceptional quarterbacks. Georgia’s Carson Beck, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, and Iamaleava look to be the best of the bunch. But that could change from one Saturday to the next.

Beck, Ewers and Iamaleava have distinguished themselves by winning games against nationally ranked teams (Clemson, Texas and NC State, respectively), and none of those games were close. Their stats aren’t too shabby, either.

Beck has completed 41 of 58 passes for 520 yards and seven touchdowns. Ewers is 44-for-63 for 506 yards and six touchdowns. Iamaleava has posted similar passing stats: 38-for-51 for 525 yards and five touchdowns.

Nussmeier has better stats 57-of-76 for 610 yards and eight touchdowns, but his team already has a loss. Dart is the statistical star with 47 completions in 54 attempts for 795 yards and six touchdowns, but Ole Miss has played two overmatched opponents in Furman and MTSU.

ADAMS: I apologize for leaving anyone out on Tennessee football defense in rout of NC State

Those aren’t the only SEC quarterbacks who possibly could wind up in New York as a Heisman finalist. Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and Missouri’s Brady Cook also have that kind of potential depending on how the season unfolds.

What distinguishes Iamaleava from the SEC’s other quarterback stars is that he’s a redshirt freshman who has started only three games. In those three games, Tennessee has outscored its opponents 155-13.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com . Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How does Tennessee football's Nico Iamaleava compare to other SEC QB Heisman candidates | Adams