Greg McElroy Names Surprise SEC QB to Win the Heisman

Numerous players have the potential to win the Heisman Trophy this season. Many believe guys like Dillon Gabriel (Oregon quarterback), and Carson Beck (Georgia quarterback), are at the top of the list. However, ESPN's Greg McElroy went outside of the box when making his Heisman pick.

While attending the SEC Media Day, the panel on the SEC Network made their sleeper picks to win the Heisman Trophy. With not much hesitation, McElroy picked Tennessee Volunteers quarterback, Nico Iamaleava to win the coveted award . Greg McElroy is much higher on Tennessee than most and clearly believes that Iamaleava can lead the Volunteers to a special season.

"I like Nico Iamaleava. I think Tennessee is a top-10 team. I know I'm probably a little higher on them than most. Other people are still in 'wait and see mode' which I totally support and I totally get that. I just think if Tennessee is going to be as good as I anticipate them being, that means that he's gonna have a ridiculous year."

Greg McElroy has been high on Iamaleava all offseason long. But the fact he's making the Tennessee quarterback his pick to win the Heisman means he sees something special in Nico Iamaleava. Here's McElroy hyping up the five-star quarterback back in February just weeks after Michigan won the National Championship.

The Volunteers have had two solid seasons back-to-back going 20-6 combined. But the program has failed to make the College Football Playoffs so far. With the postseason expanding to 12 teams, Tennessee could be one of those schools who could make a serious run for a playoff appearance.

That's especially true if the hype around Nico Iamaleava is real. He stepped in and played five games for the Volunteers last season during his Freshman year. Iamaleava didn't look bad either, as he recorded 314 passing yards, 71 rushing yards, five total touchdowns, zero interceptions, and threw a 62.2 completion percentage.

Tennessee has the opportunity to go on a special run. The early portion of their schedule is favorable, as they face off against Chattanooga, NC State, and Kent State in their first three games. The matchups to keep an eye on though are Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.

We'll see how the season unfolds but Tennessee fans have every right to be excited. The Vols are hungry for a championship though, as the program hasn't won one since 1998. But with Nico Iamaleava, things could certainly change in the coming years.

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