Tennessee’s $8M Nico Iamaleava Gamble at High Risk !!

[BigOrangeTrain]

I’ll take Dobbs and save $8 million all day. Nico more accurate?

Sorry that stats bother you. Give me some that refute the actual stats chief.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

I heard this same story about 2 years ago. We have a good QB, but the Oline is terrible, the WRs can’t get separation, and on and on. Then a QB named Herndon Hooker took the reins of that same team, and it was game on. Quick decisions and accurate passes on time is what it takes. Every great college QB doesn’t have to be an NFL type guy (May never play in the NFL) but they bring an it to the college game. These guys are out there and can be had for less than $2M a year out of HS. I would venture Diego did more for Vandy than Nico did for Tenn. And the RS Fr game doesn’t play. Lagway improved Fl as a freshman, Sellers did more for USCe as a RS Fr, aTm won 9 games with basically a Fr, Ark won 7 with a Fr. None earned $2M a year.

Was Hedon Hooker a RS FR in 2021 and then a RS SO in 2022? Asking for a friend.

 

[C-south]

Sorry that stats bother you. Give me some that refute the actual stats chief.

I’ve watched them both play kemosabe.

 

[rfloptenn]

He wears makeup....

so does nico

 

[rfloptenn]

lol. Please tell me you don’t believe this.

This is worth watching for next 2 hrs

 

[Mtnvol80]

If so could Tennessee go after Pavia or Sellers?

Sellers turned down 3 million from auburn. Stayed with USC for 2.5 million. Pavia will chase the bag but not sure he's a good fit

 

[0059862]

It's not about Nico being bad. It's about building an offense around Nico. O line, WRs, etc.

We don't really know that! I didn't see him improve over the course of the season against good teams

 

[0059862]

Nico is much better than Dobbs. Compare him with Peyton? We don’t have a WR or OL that could have started for Peytons team. He hd Kent and Nash to throw to. Two true game breakers. Hooker? You do realize Hooker was a 4th and 5th year SR when he was here right? He wasn’t a RS FR.

Very respectfully disagree! Dobbs won the big games and played better as the competition got better. Nico plays much worse as the competition gets better.

 

[cgrish]

Most UGA fans don't want Beck to come back. He was a pick machine against everyone but us.

He was a pick machine against any team that pressured him at all. We didn't pressure him.

 

[ArmchairQB]

2015 Dobbs vs 2024 Iamaleava is a fun comparison. Both teams lost to the hogs. Dobbs beat Georgia but lost to Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma. Iamaleava lost to Georgia but beat Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma.

2024 Vols had 2,942 yards rushing and 34 rushing TDs, and 2,875 yards passing and 21 passing TDs, and gained 447 yards per game.

2015 team had less rushing yards, less rushing TDs, less passing yards, less passing TDs, less yards per game and a coach who didn’t really grasp what having Alvin Kamara on his roster meant and made Hurd his primary RB.

Dobbs was proven at making something out of nothing and did a lot of his best work when things broke down. Iamaleava’s offense was the more productive of the two.

But I do wonder… give Heupel Dobbs, Hurd, Kamara, Jauan Jennings, Josh Malone, Preston Williams etc and what does he get out of them? Presumably with Kamara at RB1 and Hurd as a receiver since Baylor turned him into a 1000 yd guy and got him on the Biletnikof watch list in his one year there. Dude had hands when he wasn’t being used a a battering ram.

Edit: to be fair, Butch was also still paying for Dooley’s OL sins and Dobbs was Dobbs because he was running for his life. Give Heupel that whole squad and it might not pan out all that different.

 

[VolForLife83]

We don't really know that! I didn't see him improve over the course of the season against good teams

It really is hard to tell what it is. Scheme, an , o line, wrs, figured out, play calling...


I think it's all of the above.

 

[joevol24]

Agreed, but What game did Tenn win this year just because Nico was playing and any of the above QBs couldn’t have won. I actually think it’s a possibility they could have won the Ark game with Diego or Lagway. Nico threw for 158 yds that game and rushed for 11 yds.

Neither was doing anything with our oline that game nor the playoff game. You need more than 1.2 seconds in the pocket for receivers to get open and the QB to find them.

On top of that, the only criticism I have of Heupel is his reliance on screen passes. If it's run or a pass to the sidelines behind the LOS, yards are going to be low. D is within 3 yards just after the snap. Hurry up can mask some of those things as defense can't properly prepare. However, not a great idea to run hurry up with a freshman QB. Hopefully it speeds back up next year.

 

[joevol24]

Was that a “good thing” for Tennessee?….as compared to a simple bowl game against decent competition?

You will never convince me making the playoffs isn't a good thing. If things were seeded the way I hope they change to soon; which is byes not guaranteed, just a playoff spot; we aren't having this conversation. We are talking about what 2 or 3 seed we meet in a few days.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

He was a pick machine against any team that pressured him at all. We didn't pressure him.

We can never get any pressure on them it seems like. Plus Beck was a lot better at home this year.

 

[Smokey7]

Is Peyton available in the portal

 

[Sudden Impact]

Nico showed a ton of courage against OSU. He missed some throws, but he wasn't the problem. Too many injuries to our playmakers and our offensive line couldn't block, particularly at right tackle. Give Nico some time and he will be fine, but the guy needs some help. I'm not sure how quick he goes through his progressions, but it appeared that no one was open anywhere he was looking. He also needs more help from the coaches. They did not create or alter a gameplan that positioned him to succeed.

Too many injuries for the playoff? We have been nursing injuries the entire season. Something is not right. Nico needs some help, agree. Terrible thoughts is how vanilla this offense has become.