Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava gets unlikely Heisman hype cheerleader in ESPN's Greg McElroy
Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee football's redshirt freshman starting quarterback, is getting some preseason Heisman Trophy buzz.
Count ESPN analyst Greg McElroy among those beating the drum.
And, yes, McElroy is the same former Alabama quarterback who criticized UT baseball coach Tony Vitello's behavior after the Vols won the national title.
On Wednesday, McElroy said he liked Iamaleava’s chances to get to New York as a Heisman finalist during a segment on SEC Network from SEC Media Days in Dallas.
“I think that if Tennessee is as good as we think they are – playoff contender, team that’s going in the mix for the SEC title – I think Nico is going to be a guy who’s probably going to be in New York,” McElroy said.
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Iamaleava, a former five-star recruit, has started only one game.
He was named the Citrus Bowl MVP after leading the Vols to a 35-0 win over Iowa. Iamaleava was 12-of-19 passing for 151 yards and one TD, and he rushed for three TDs.
Before that, Iamaleava had played only 52 snaps as Joe Milton’s backup. But now he’s among the preseason Heisman favorites for 2024.
Why Greg McElroy likes Nico Iamaleava's Heisman odds
ESPN Bet lists Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel as the Heisman favorite. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart round out the top 5.
Iamaleava is No. 6 on the list at 16-1 odds. But McElroy likes his chances better than others.
“I like Nico Iamaleava. For one, I think Tennessee is a top 10 team. I know I’m probably a little higher on them than most,” McElroy said. “Other people are in wait-and-see mode, which I totally support. 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 going to have a ridiculous year. Because that team, and that offense in particular, is so quarterback dependent.”
ESPN analyst Roman Harper disagreed because he thinks Tennessee won’t have enough success to put Iamaleava into the Heisman hunt.
“If that happens, then you are probably correct,” Harper told McElroy about his prediction of Tennessee’s successful season.
“I don’t think that will happen because of the lack of secondary continuity that Tennessee has coming back. They lost 10 or 11 DBs out of that room from last year. The quickest way to lose a game is over the top. But if they are what Greg says, then (Iamaleava) will be (a Heisman finalist).”
Here's what Greg McElroy said about Tony Vitello
McElroy and Harper are former Alabama players. But McElroy, in particular, might seem like an unexpected supporter of Iamaleava, considering the ESPN analyst recently ripped Vitello during an eye-opening rant.
On June 25, McElroy criticized Vitello’s celebration after the Vols won the national title.
“(Vitello) is like a WWE character and it's embarrassing, seriously. To be an adult, I'd be appalled. I really would,” McElroy said during the “McElroy & Cubelic In the Morning” show.
“I know he wins and he's great and the kids love him and all that stuff. That's awesome, but if that was a leader of my organization I would have to have a little talking to him. I just would. It's unbelievable.”
One day later, McElroy apologized for his remarks.
“I want to start just by apologizing to Tony Vitello and the Tennessee Volunteers,” McElroy said. “I took a shot at them yesterday and it wasn't necessary. My frustrations about where we're at in society boiled over. It was unnecessary.
“Yesterday should have been an accomplishment of what Tennessee accomplished on the baseball field, as opposed to a stream of consciousness, basically diatribe, about all the things that are bothering me in my personal life and all the things that are bothering me right now with where we're at in society.”
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: Tennessee QB a Heisman finalist, Greg McElroy says
