9 experienced quarterbacks that Nico Iamaleava must outduel for Tennessee football in 2024

Nico Iamaleava’s five-star rating, undisputed talent and a Citrus Bowl MVP award were enough to convince the college football world that he could be an instant star for Tennessee in 2024.

But Iamaleava has played five games with only one start and passed for 314 yards in his college career.

That’s one Saturday of work for most of the quarterbacks the Vols will face this season. They have played a lot of games and often at a high level.

If talent transcends experience, UT could have the better quarterback in any game. But if Iamaleava goes through understandable growing pains in his first season as the starter, opposing quarterbacks will have enough skins on the wall to compete.

Here’s a ranking of the top nine starting quarterbacks the Vols will face this season with an emphasis on their game experience. They have started 182 games combined to Iamaleava's one start.

1. Carson Beck, Georgia

Beck is the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite on many boards, and he could be a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Beck carved up the Vols last season, going 24-of-30 passing for 298 yards and three TDs. He was virtually unstoppable on third down, and UT never sacked him.

If UT doesn’t pressure Beck or cover better, it won’t matter what Iamaleava does.

Experience: 26 games (14 starts), 4,427 yards passing

2. Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Milroe finished sixth in Heisman voting last season, and he’s top five in preseason odds in 2024.

Nick Saban adjusted his offense to maximize Milroe’s skillset. It’s reasonable to think new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer can do the same, especially since he developed Michael Penix into a Heisman runner-up at Washington last season.

Experience: 25 games (14 starts), 3,172 yards passing

3. Graham Mertz, Florida

Graham Mertz started three seasons at Wisconsin and last season at Florida. He’s a game manager, quite the opposite of the dynamic Iamaleava.

Mertz outplayed Joe Milton in a win over the Vols in The Swamp last season. It’ll be more difficult to beat UT in Neyland Stadium on Oct. 12. But Mertz has notched road wins at Michigan, Nebraska and South Carolina during his long career, so don’t expect him to be overwhelmed.

Experience: 45 games (43 starts), 8,290 yards passing

4. Grayson McCall, North Carolina State

Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall is the NCAA active career leader in passing efficiency. The three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year has passed for 10,005 yards and 88 TDs in his career.

When UT plays North Carolina State in Charlotte on Sept. 7, it will be a quarterback matchup of young versus old.

Experience: 42 games (40 starts), 10,005 yards passing

5. Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky

Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff has a different kind of experience.

The former five-star prospect spent four years with the Bulldogs behind Stetson Bennett and Beck on national title teams. But he’s played only 76 offensive snaps in his career.

Despite his lack of game inexperience, Vandagriff was among the most coveted transfer quarterbacks this offseason.

Experience: 13 games (0 starts), 165 yards passing

6. Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma

Iamaleava and Jackson Arnold have taken a similar path to the starting role.

They were both five-star prospects in the 2023 class. They both played as freshmen, although Arnold (181 snaps) saw a little more time than Iamaleava (120 snaps). Both had an impressive first start in a bowl game. And both approach the 2024 season with a little Heisman Trophy buzz.

They’ll face off on Sept. 21 in Norman in Oklahoma’s first-ever SEC game.

Experience: 7 games (1 start), 563 yards passing

7. Taylen Green, Arkansas

Taylen Green started the past two seasons at Boise State before transferring to Arkansas to replace K.J. Jefferson. He has accounted for 25 passing TDs and 19 rushing TDs in his career.

Experience: 28 games (22 starts), 3,794 yards passing

8. Blake Shapen, Mississippi State

This will be Blake Shapen’s fifth year in college football. At Baylor, he was the Big 12 Championship Game MVP, won a road game at Oklahoma and started the better parts of three seasons.

Experience: 27 games (23 starts), 5,574 yards passing

9. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

For now, Utah transfer Nate Johnson is Vanderbilt’s projected starter.

But New Mexico State transfer Diego Pavia could take the spot by the UT game on Nov. 30. After all, coach Clark Lea hired Pavia’s former coach (Jerry Kill) and offensive coordinator (Tim Beck) from New Mexico State to Vanderbilt.

Pavia accounted for 52 total TDs over two seasons and won the 2023 Conference USA Player of the Year award. This will be his fifth college season, including two in junior college.

Experience: 27 games (25 starts), 4,423 yards passing

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: 9 experienced QBs that Nico Iamaleava must outduel for Tennessee football