When Week 1 rolls around, Tennessee is set to clash with Syracuse in Atlanta—but don’t expect the same old Vols offense. With Nico Iamaleava now at UCLA, the spotlight shifts to Joey Aguilar, the new QB1 in Knoxville. But Iamaleava’s departure shocked just about everyone—it felt like it came out of nowhere. Now the big question looms: is this a massive setback for the Vols in 2025? Depends on who you ask. Some see a rebuild. Others see a reload.
“Losing Nico [Iamaleava] isn’t good,” an SEC coach told Athlon Sports. “They’re not replacing him with a more talented quarterback, and they’re losing the QB who ran their system in a playoff game. But because of the way everything went down, I don’t think anyone blames the program or Josh [Heupel], and with the turnover on defense, Nico leaving makes a transition year a lot easier to stomach.” Still, let’s not forget—Nico wasn’t the engine behind last year’s CFP run. That title belonged to Dylan Sampson, the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, who lit up defenses all season. And Tim Banks’ defense? Absolutely locked in. So while the QB room changes, the heartbeat of Vols might just be stronger than people think.
Now, it’s up to the team to prove what they’re made of—but as they say, you never forget your first love. And for Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee still holds a place in his heart. On June 2nd, the former Vols QB shared a sentimental throwback video from his Rocky Top days with the caption, “gon[na] miss my real ones.” It was a simple post, but it spoke volumes. Despite the unexpected ending, it’s clear Iamaleava’s bond with Knoxville runs deep. Some chapters close, but the memories stay golden.
And the background song on his IG story took his emotions for Josh Heupel’s Tennessee to a whole new level.
(This is a developing story…..)
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