Nick Saban offers important advice to Tennessee Vols QB Nico Iamaleava ahead of the 2024 season

Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban knows a thing or two about what it takes to win SEC championships and national championships.

So it's probably worth listening to the advice that he had for Tennessee Vols redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava this week at SEC Media Days in Dallas.

Iamaleava is set to take over as the Vols' starting quarterback in 2024 after serving as Joe Miltion's backup last season on Rocky Top (Iamaleava made his first career start in Tennessee's win against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl).

WATE's Reece Van Haaften asked Saban this week what advice he would offer to Iamaleava this fall as the young quarterback looks to take the Vols' offense to the next level.

"Just do your job," said Saban. "I think a lot of times, especially high profile guys at quarterback -- (Alabama QB) Jalen Milroe went through this a little bit last year early in the season -- is you don't have to make all the plays. You have to distribute the ball and make the right choices and decisions to get the ball to the right guys at the right time so they can catch it and run with it. You hand it off to the right guy if that's what you're supposed to do. You've heard me use this analogy before, you're more of a point guard than you are a shooting guard. You might score 35 points in a game you might score 13 and get 13 assists. But you're not turning the ball over and you're doing what your team needs you to do to have a successful offensive team."

That's simple advice from Saban, but it's also important. Everyone expects Nico to be a star in the SEC -- and there's a really good chance that he will be. But that doesn't mean that winning every play falls completely on his shoulders. Nico's surrounded by a lot of talent in Tennessee's offense. He doesn't have to be the hero on every snap.

Now, there will certainly be times when Nico has to be the hero. There will be third down plays where he has to use his legs to pick up a first down. There will be throws into tight windows in the fourth quarter of a close game that he'll have to make for the Vols to win. But that can't always be his approach.

Saban's been around plenty of future NFL players. He was constantly surrounded by elite talent during his time as Alabama's head coach. If he's saying to keep it simple and focus on getting the ball to playmakers, then it's advice that Nico should probably take to heart.

Related: LSU HC Brian Kelly gets real about losing former 5-star OL Lance Heard to Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols