The Nico Iamaleava era in Tennessee is defining the Josh Heupel era at the perfect time.

Orlando, Florida — Squirrel White was reminded of another quarterback during a Citrus Bowl practice when Nico Iamaleava, a freshman from Tennessee, made a play so impressive the opposing team’s receiver (who shall remain nameless) was unable to hold onto the football.

“He made a no-look pass akin to that of Patrick Mahomes, and I thought, ‘What the fuck?'” White stated to The Athletic. It was absurd. He has incredible playmaking ability when he is not in the pocket. He’s got style.

They use that term a lot to describe the 6’6′′ freshman from Long Beach, California. He will make his career debut on Monday at Camping World Stadium against the Iowa Hawkeyes (10–3), the Vols (8–4), following the decision of senior Joe Milton to sit out, which makes this a much more exciting College Football Playoff appetizer. After a practice on the UCF campus on Thursday, Bryson Eason, a defensive tackle for UT, used it, but he was thinking of a different analogy.

That’s how they refer to the six foot six inch freshman from Long Beach, California, a lot. Due to senior Joe Milton’s decision to sit out, he will make his career debut on Monday at Camping World Stadium against the Iowa Hawkeyes (10–3) and the Vols (8–4), making this a much more exciting College Football Playoff appetizer. Bryson Eason, a defensive tackle for UT, used it after a practice on the UCF campus on Thursday, but he was considering a different comparison.

And for that reason, some Vols supporters cried out for him this season as Milton led Tennessee’s offense to a significant decline. It wasn’t entirely Milton’s fault, of course, but he also lacked the solution. But that would have been a bad move.

Similar to Young from Alabama, C.J. Stroud from Ohio State, and numerous other accomplished collegiate quarterbacks, Iamaleava benefited from delaying the pressure and pounding. Rather than that, he had to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and protein shakes, which added roughly fifteen extra pounds to his already wiry 206-pound frame. He claimed that after dominating opponents in high school, he acquired the skill of reading defenses. He also learned about his teammates.