Once Tennessee football has game in hand, Nico Iamaleava needs to be benched. Immediately | Adams

Once Tennessee football gathers next week for media-day interviews and preseason practice, the question-and-answer exchanges might not seem much different from last year's at the same time.

The quarterback will be front and center.

Last season, much of the speculation about Tennessee centered on Joe Milton, UT’s new starter. Next week, the top talking topic likely will be UT’s new starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava .

Coach Josh Heupel and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle spoke glowingly about Milton last August. They complimented him on his improvement, his understanding of the offense and, of course, the powerful throwing arm that had been turning heads ever since he delivered his first spiral.

In fact, they oversold Milton. But what would you expect? He was clearly the No. 1 quarterback after performing effectively in Tennessee’s previous game, an impressive 31-14 victory over Clemson in the Orange Bowl. Better to talk about the quarterback he might become than his shortcomings.

Nonetheless, as the season unfolded, you didn’t have to be a coach to figure out Milton’s skill set wasn’t best suited for Heupel’s offense. Nobody could question his arm strength, but he didn’t excel at throwing on the run. In Heupel’s offense, that could be glaring at times.

That won’t be an issue with Iamaleava. He’s the prototypical quarterback for Heupel’s offense. You saw glimpses of that in his few regular-season appearances as a freshman last year. His MVP performance in Tennessee’s 35-0 Citrus Bowl victory over Iowa confirmed his enormous potential.

The biggest question about Iamaleava has nothing to do with his ability. It’s about his durability. You can’t prevent injuries in a sport as violent as this one. You just hope to minimize the risk.

Tennessee took steps to do that after last season. It retained three of its starting offensive linemen — a testament, in part, to UT’s NIL management. Another smart decision: Acquiring LSU offensive tackle Lance Heard , a former five-star recruit, from the transfer portal.

LSU has two potential first-round NFL draft picks in offensive tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones. So it made sense for Heard to transfer. And it made sense for Tennessee to pursue him. With John Campbell returning as a starter at one tackle and Heard on the other side, the Vols seem equipped to protect Iamaleava’s flanks when he’s passing from the pocket.

Of course, he won’t be confined to the pocket. He has terrific running instincts, as he demonstrated against Iowa. His dual-threat ability will put tremendous pressure on defenses. It also could put pressure on UT’s offensive coaches.

A couple of questions come to mind: How much do you run Iamaleava and how long do you play him? The answers could be on the scoreboard.

You wouldn’t want him running often in the season opener against Chattanooga. Game 2 against NC State could be different. The closer the game, the more pivotal Iamaleava’s running could be.

Determining when a game is in hand also could be tricky. Momentum can change so quickly in college football now. And a big lead can shrink just as fast. But once Tennessee determines a lead is safe, Iamaleava doesn’t need to be in the game.

Heupel hasn’t been one to take his foot off the accelerator. And I’m all for scoring as many points as you can. But Iamaleava doesn’t need to be playing one more down than necessary. The stakes are too high.

The Vols' depth chart isn’t stacked with experienced quarterbacks. The likely backup is senior Gaston Moore, a former walk-on. Tennessee also has freshman Jake Merklinger, a former four-star recruit.

ADAMS: No Nico for Tennessee football at SEC Media Days? Why it doesn't really matter

A lack of quarterback depth isn’t unusual in the transfer era. That’s a concern for most teams.

But the bigger concern for many teams: How good is your starting quarterback?

The Vols don’t have to worry about that.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at john.adams@knoxnews.cm . Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Once Tennessee football has game in hand, Nico Iamaleava needs to be benched. Immediately | Adams