Nico Iamaleava was recognizable the second he entered the terminal at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville.

So Tennessee football fans tried not to stare while they strategized a photo opportunity with the Vols quarterback somewhere between the ticket counter and the security check.

There was no need for a double take to confirm it was Iamaleava. His 6-foot-6 silhouette and easy-going California style is unmistakable.

Iamaleava was surrounded by family members. Wearing a plain white T-shirt, black shorts and black sunglasses, he appeared as though he wanted to blend into the crowd.

But those days are long gone.

Iamaleava is one of the highest paid college athletes in the country with an NIL deal reportedly worth as much as $8 million.

His recruitment to UT was the target of a failed NCAA investigation that triggered a federal antitrust lawsuit over NIL rules by the Tennessee attorney general to ensure that Iamaleava could play for the Vols this season.

And because Iamaleava's talent matches his high price tag, he is already perceived as a Heisman Trophy candidate despite being an inexperienced redshirt freshman approaching UT’s season opener against Chattanooga on Saturday (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network).

Iamaleava, who has 180,000 followers on Instagram, is now both a quarterback and a brand.

So even if that gold No. 8 medallion hanging around his neck didn’t give away Iamaleava’s identity on that summer afternoon in the airport, dozens of people whispering, “It’s Nico,” not-so-quietly did the job.

By the time Iamaleava approached his gate, clusters of fans were waiting. There was a vacationing family, a father and son and a group of high school girls with their smart phones in hand.

Iamaleava, wandering toward the food court, seemed oblivious to the attention. The former five-star recruit has become accustomed to it. Fortunately, his sisters stood watch, ready to guide Iamaleava to eagerly awaiting fans for a series of selfies before boarding his flight.

“I’ll always stop by and take a picture,” Iamaleava said. “I think that just comes with playing quarterback at the University of Tennessee.”

But Iamaleava has barely played quarterback for UT. He appeared briefly in four regular season games as a freshman and finally made his first start in the Citrus Bowl, where he earned the MVP.

His celebrity status far exceeded his playing time over the past year. But that’s about to change when he finally steps into the spotlight at Neyland Stadium.

“Year two is something I’ve envisioned since coming here,” Iamaleava said. “It’s go time for me, and I’m ready.”

The wait is over, but it’s already been a wild ride.

Peyton Manning, Condredge Holloway know how Nico feels

The buzz around Iamaleava has no direct comparison.

But combine the freshman years of iconic UT quarterbacks Condredge Holloway and Peyton Manning, and you’ll get an idea.

Like Manning, Iamaleava’s name was well known before he stepped onto campus. In 1994, Peyton Manning was a celebrated recruit and the son of former Ole Miss star quarterback Archie Manning.

Iamaleava and Arch Manning, Peyton’s nephew, were the two can’t-miss quarterbacks in the 2023 recruiting class. And Iamaleava drew additional attention as the poster boy for the new NIL era when the projected payout of his lucrative contract was reported by The Athletic.

Of course, the difference is that Peyton Manning started eight games as a freshman while Iamaleava didn’t get his chance until the season finale.

Like Holloway, Iamaleava had a following as a freshman before he played a meaningful snap for the Vols. And anticipation built for both quarterbacks toward their second season.

In 1971, NCAA rules did not allow freshmen on the varsity team. But a record crowd of 31,300 fans attended Tennessee’s freshman game against Notre Dame at Neyland Stadium just to get a glimpse of Holloway, who became the first Black quarterback to start in the SEC a year later.

Similarly, UT fans chanted “Ni-co! Ni-co!” at games throughout Iamaleava’s freshman season, hoping to see him play sooner than later.

By the time Holloway debuted as a sophomore, his name had already appeared in 86 Knoxville News Sentinel articles. Iamaleava probably passed that total before he enrolled at UT. And that coverage has only increased since then, but it hasn’t fazed Iamaleava.

“I’ve always been comfortable with the media,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of home training with this media stuff.”

Tennessee fans stood in line for hours to see Nico

Iamaleava’s celebrity reception as a freshman was staggering, especially from fans who had barely seen him play.

Iamaleava played only 52 snaps of mop-up duty behind Joe Milton during the 2023 regular season.

But at an NIL event in December, fans stood in line for more than four hours to get a photo with Iamaleava and his autograph while also purchasing a custom UT orange lei, which celebrates the quarterback’s Polynesian heritage.

The fans talked about Iamaleava as if he’d already led the Vols to a national title.

“He’s one of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever seen,” said Billy Sentelle, a 53-year-old man from Greeneville who got a poster autographed by Iamaleava to entrust to his newborn grandson, aptly named Neyland.

When Iamaleava was sighted at the airport this summer, a group of Oak Ridge High students on a school trip were among the fans hoping to intercept the quarterback after he went through the security checkpoint.

“Everybody knows what Nico looks like, and my mom (who was in a different area of the airport) had already seen him and text me that he was coming toward us. So we were excited,” said Serenity Campbell, a junior at Oak Ridge.

"It was a big deal when we met him. I sent the photo to my uncle because he loves Nico. Of course, a lot of people love Nico. He was nice. He seemed very happy to take a picture with us. He just seems like a regular humble dude."

UT fans have learned Iamaleava's authentic personality is humble and quiet, much different from the flashy plays he makes on the field.

“He wasn’t expecting this (level of attention). None of us were,” Nic Iamaleava, Nico’s father, said at that NIL event in December. “Nico is humble. He’d rather be behind the scenes and allow others to get the limelight.”

As scout team QB, Nico won over his UT teammates

Ask UT teammates about Iamaleava, and humility is the first trait they ascribe to the quarterback.

“He’s really found a way to get some respect in the locker room. Just his humility has drawn a lot of people to want him to lead,” said 26-year-old linebacker Keenan Pili, a team captain on defense.

“Nico has gotten right to work and been really humble. He’s willing to soak up any information that anybody will give him,” said fifth-year senior center Cooper Mays, a team captain on offense.

In an era when big NIL paydays can turn 18-year-olds into divas, Iamaleava has gone the opposite direction.

“(Iamaleava’s humility) has been a big part of how the players have responded to him,” coach Josh Heupel said. “(He’s) a guy that came in here and wanted to earn it.”

If not for Iamaleava’s patience and maturity, things could’ve gone wrong for the Vols. But coaches said he never complained about being a backup quarterback.

In December 2022, Iamaleava played scout team quarterback at Orange Bowl practices after arriving at UT.

He wasn’t yet eligible to play. But he asked countless questions about UT’s game plan and how he could help prepare the Vols by impersonating Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnick.

Players instantly liked Iamaleava.

The few times that Iamaleava talked to media as a freshman, he downplayed his own abilities and praised Milton for teaching him how to build relationships with teammates.

In practice, Iamaleava’s talent was undeniable. But when a receiver dropped his perfectly placed pass or ran the wrong route, he didn’t shout in frustration. Instead, Iamaleava jogged to the receiver, put his arm on his shoulder and talked face to face.

Iamaleava said he was raised to be humble and patient.

“My dad and mom always kept me in check, both of them, because it takes a village and even my brothers and sisters (helped),” said Iamaleava, who has seven siblings.

If you can’t say Iamaleava, Nico will suffice

UT fans are on a first name basis with their quarterback. Like any celebrity – Prince, LeBron or Beyonce – he’s just Nico.

But Iamaleava isn’t a household name everywhere.

TV broadcasters have butchered the pronunciation of his last name even though Iamaleava provided a tutorial on X, formerly known as Twitter, after his first practice in 2022.

“Everybody else gets their last name called. So I hope they can get my last name right at some point,” Iamaleava said. “But I’m cool with Nico.”

EA Sports “College Football 25,” the recently released video game, also mispronounced Iamaleava.

That’s notable because an NCAA rule change in 2021 allowed college players to make money off their name, image and likeness on products such as video games. And Iamaleava was believed to be the first non-professional athlete to sign a blockbuster NIL deal in March 2022, shortly before he committed to UT.

That storyline eventually came back around.

Tennessee beat NCAA in federal court for quarterback, NIL rights

Iamaleava’s freshman year was unlike others, and UT knew it would be.

A Knox News investigation found that UT had spent tens of thousands of dollars on lawyers to look out for Iamaleava’s interests and defend his rights to earn NIL benefits before he even enrolled.

By hiring expert attorneys so early, the university got ahead of NCAA investigators who targeted specific schools for allegedly breaking NIL rules that ultimately were ruled invalid by a federal court.

UT mobilized every weapon in its arsenal — from the Tennessee attorney general to UT Chancellor Donde Plowman to an aggressive NIL collective — to protect its prized quarterback from what it thought were unfair attacks by the NCAA.

The Vols won that battle by a wide margin.

A federal judge suspended NCAA rules on NIL. And the NCAA had no choice but to pause its probe into UT’s NIL dealings, including those of Iamaleava.

But that meant that Iamaleava had to address an NCAA investigation and a federal lawsuit fought on his behalf in one of his first media appearances as UT’s starting quarterback this spring.

Again, it wasn’t a typical freshman year.

“(We can) focus on ball,” Iamaleava said on March 25, after the NCAA probe was dropped. “I’m glad that’s past us.”

NICO TO BRU Bru McCoy can go from Nico Iamaleava's boyhood idol to his top receiver

The wait is over. Year 2 is about football

Iamaleava wants to be defined by his play, and he’s waited a long time for that opportunity. He took part in about 120 practices at UT before making his first start, but he kept grinding without a complaint.

“It was good for me to sit,” Iamaleava said. “Joe was a great guy to learn from.”

It was worth the wait. In the Citrus Bowl, Iamaleava tied a UT bowl record with three rushing touchdowns while also passing for 151 yards and another TD in a 35-0 win over Iowa.

Despite Iamaleava’s inexperience, he’s gotten some preseason Heisman Trophy buzz. And the Vols are considered a College Football Playoff contender, due in part to Iamaleava and pass rusher James Pearce, tabbed as the No. 1 player in college football by ESPN.

It seems those lofty expectations are unfair to a quarterback who hasn’t even started a game in his home stadium yet.

But after a wild first year of autograph signings, an NCAA investigation and fans chanting his name while he stands on the sideline, Iamaleava is ready to play.

Year two should be all about football, finally.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Nico Iamaleava: After wild year, 2024 is finally QB's time for Tennessee football