Tennessee

Why Nico Iamaleava signed autograph for Tennessee football teammate, and what it means for 2024

Published

1 year ago

November 6, 2023

Why Nico Iamaleava signed autograph for Tennessee football teammate, and what it means for 2024

After Tennessee tight end McCallan Castles caught Nico Iamaleava’s first touchdown pass, he had the quarterback sign his receiving gloves.

Castles thinks it might be a valuable souvenir one day.

“For me to catch it was a big deal,” Castles said Monday. “Those (gloves) will probably be hanging up in my house after (Iamaleava’s) career here. So it’s pretty cool.”

That sounds like a prediction of great things for Iamaleava, the five-star freshman who’s preparing to start for the Vols in 2024.

“Yeah, 100 percent,” Castles said. “You can just tell by the way that he operated in the game that he was confident. Even when he got flushed out of the pocket, he was still operating – which is crazy to see at that young age.”

Against UConn, Iamaleava showed progress from practices

In UT’s 59-3 win over UConn last week, Iamaleava was 5-of-9 passing for 86 yards and one TD. He also scrambled for a 25-yard run and looked comfortable running the offense.

Expect Iamaleava to remain Joe Milton’s backup for the remainder of the season.

No. 12 Tennessee (7-2, 3-2 SEC) plays at No. 15 Missouri (7-2, 3-2) on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS). Then the Vols host No. 1 Georgia and Vanderbilt and bowl game to finish the season.

But then Iamaleava should get his chance as the starter in the 2024 season.

UT could add a veteran quarterback via the transfer portal for depth. Otherwise, reserve walk-ons Gaston Moore and Navy Shuler and freshman Jake Merklinger, a four-star commitment set to enroll in January, will be the only quarterbacks alongside Iamaleava next season.

The UConn game was a good step toward Iamaleava starting because it showed UT coaches and players just how far he has come as a freshman.

In early season practices, Iamaleava processed his reads slower, overthrew passes and took time adjusting to the fast pace of UT’s offense. Heupel hinted at those growing pains during preseason practices.

But Iamaleava has improved in those areas, and teammates recognized his poise against UConn.

“Every opportunity he gets, he makes sure at practice that he treats all the opportunities as real,” Milton said. “So when the game time does come, he will be ready for his moment.”

What impresses UT teammates besides Iamaleava’s talent

Iamaleava has the ideal frame at 6-foot-6, 206 pounds. He touts tremendous arm strength and good mobility. And his talent is indisputable as one of the highest rated quarterbacks in the 2023 recruiting class.

But a starting quarterback in the SEC also needs respect from his teammates. Hendon Hooker had it in 2021 and 2022 for UT. And Milton has it this season.

Iamaleava’s TD pass offered a glimpse of how the Vols feel about him. Center Cooper Mays lifted Iamaleava into the air. And teammates mobbed him on the field and the sidelines.

“(The first TD) is always a big one for an individual player, for Nico,” Heupel said. “But then for the guys around him to be excited for him and what he did – that’s offensive linemen, that’s skill guys, that’s Joe (Milton), that’s everybody – they see the work that he puts in.

“They see the player that he is. That was a big moment for him.”

Heupel planned to give Iamaleava more playing time early in the season. But wins over Austin Peay and UTSA were closer in the second half than expected.

Teammates said Iamaleava never shared a word of dissatisfaction. Castles, a fellow Californian, takes most of his reps with Iamaleava in practice. He said the freshman’s humility and team-first attitude have impressed UT players.

VOLS MAILBAG Does Tennessee fake injuries after extra points, plus more on Nico, bowl projections

“You see all the work that he puts in, but he’s never complained about not getting into games,” Castles said. “There’s a couple games where we should’ve taken care of business, and he could’ve gotten drives in. But he’s never complained about that.

“He just does the work, and he’s always super humble about it. So for him to have success, everybody understands the work he’s put into it.”

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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Tennessee

The 2025 Tennessee legislative session begins on Tuesday. Here's what to know

Published

4 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

The 2025 Tennessee legislative session begins on Tuesday. Here's what to know

The first bill filed ahead of the start of the Tennessee legislative session reintroduces universal school vouchers, a topic that failed to find support last year.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tuesday marks the start of the 2025 Tennessee legislative session — an annual process that brings state lawmakers to Nashville to discuss and decide on proposals that can impact all of the state’s 7.2 million residents.

This will be the 114th General Assembly, meaning it will be the 114th group of lawmakers to gather in the capital — whether it be located in Nashville, Knoxville, Kingston or Murfreesboro — to pass laws. The first General Assembly was on March 28, 1796.

There is a Republican supermajority this legislative session, as there has been in the previous years. This means that Democratic lawmakers could effectively not show up and there would still be enough lawmakers to pass laws. There will be 27 Republicans in the Senate with six Democratic members. The House of Representatives has 75 Republicans and 24 Democratic members.

Effectively, nothing changed in the makeup of this session compared to the previous one. However, some previous Republican lawmakers had their seats taken by new Republican members. Some of those members, such as Republican Representative Rick Scarbrough, were voted into their seats after collecting donations from a PAC that supports universal school voucher proposals.

The first bill filed of this session reintroduces the program, which drew the ire of educators and community members across East Tennessee. Its mostly Republican supporters argue that the proposal increases school choice for Tennessee families. However, educators and advocates condemned it for using public money to fund private school expenses.

Last year, the proposal failed after three competing bills were introduced, each with different rules for the program. This year, there is a single bill to start the program. It includes a $2,000 bonus for teachers and requirements for private schools to be accredited. It also bases scholarships for families on the amount of money students generate for schools, according to the state’s TISA formula.

Democratic lawmakers and advocates contend that despite the changes, the core of the proposal remains the same — using public money to pay for private school expenses. They say that it effectively removes funding for public schools, which already face tight budgets. They also argue that the proposal leaves out rural families who may not have private school options, and said the funding will only subsidize private education costs instead of outright paying for them.

Abortion also promises to be a contentious topic, as it has been for several years. This year, Republican lawmakers proposed banning abortion care medication from being sent in the state’s mail system, further restricting abortion care access in a state already known for having one of the country’s most restrictive abortion care bans.

Democratic lawmakers proposed abolishing the state’s grocery tax as a way to help families save money while prices continue to rise nationally for most goods. Republican leaders said they hope to refine the proposal to keep the tax in place, in some form.

Proposals that expand police powers to detain undocumented immigrants and require different IDs to be given to immigrants have also been introduced, along with a proposal that could effectively expand the state’s anti-transgender bathroom rules.

This legislative session will also be held during the first term of President-elect Donald Trump, who many state lawmakers and leaders including Governor Bill Lee have met and expressed support for in the past. Lee signed onto a pledge with 25 other Republican governors in December to support Trump’s immigration policies, which he said include plans for mass deportations.

The legislative session will also begin with a lawsuit continuing to go through the courts that Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) filed against Lee. In it, he said his constitutional rights were violated when leaders tried to stop his dissent on issues like gun restrictions by expelling and silencing him.

Usually, legislative sessions last until late April or May of each year.

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Tennessee

Tennessee Department of Human Services sued on its handling of SNAP

Published

12 hours ago

January 13, 2025

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Tennessee Department of Human Services sued on its handling of SNAP

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) is facing a legal battle with the handling of its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The class action lawsuit accuses DHS of failing to process applications on time.

The lawsuit claims this caused hunger, malnutrition and financial hardship for applicants and participants.

The contributor joined the lawsuit filed by the Tennessee Justice Center.

Read the full lawsuit below:

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Tennessee

Where Tennessee stands in D1 Baseball Preseason Top 25

Published

20 hours ago

January 13, 2025

Press Room

Where Tennessee stands in D1 Baseball Preseason Top 25

After a season that ended unlike any other in program history, Tennessee will begin its 2025 season in an unfamiliar spot, too: defending national champions.

On the heels of their first-ever College World Series title, the Vols begin another campaign of high expectations in a little more than a month. They’ll also start ranked highly in the polls.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

Tennessee debuted at No. 4 in the D1 Baseball Preseason Top 25 on Monday–32 days before it opens the season with a three-game series against Hofstra on Feb. 14 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The Vols’ home field is currently under-going its next phase of construction. New stands were added down the third base line prior to last season and stadium will have a couple of other noticeable changes by first pitch. It will also have a new national championship banner.

Tennessee and eighth-year head coach Tony Vitello will have their work cut out for it in its defense of that crown, though and it will have to do it without some of the key pieces that helped earn it, including sluggers Christian Moore and Blake Burke. Third baseman Billy Amick and outfielders Kavares Tears and Dylan Dreiling are gone, as well as some big arms, including Drew Beam and A.J. Causey.

The Vols have some notable returners that were also paramount in their CWS run last June. Hunter Ensley, one of the heroes of Tennessee’s championship final triumph of Texas A&M, headlines the outfield and Dean Curley is back after a standout freshman campaign at shortstop.

Right-handed pitcher Nate Snead is the leader among the pitching staff.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Tennessee 2025 baseball schedule released

Several of the Vols’ opponents were included in the poll, too. In fact, the SEC was heavily represented, to little surprise.

The league is poised to continue its long-standing dominance of college baseball with nine teams ranked, including six teams in the top 10.

Texas A&M leads the way at No. 1, followed by LSU (3), Arkansas (5), Georgia (8) and Florida (10).

Vanderbilt (16), Mississippi State (18) and Texas (19) made up for the rest of the league’s representation in the poll.

All of those teams reached the postseason a year ago, with Texas A&M and Florida joining Tennessee in the CWS field in Omaha and the Vols will have to play a three-game series against five of the teams ranked in the top 25.

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