We answer questions about Tennessee football including Nico Iamaleava, Citrus Bowl, transfers

Tennessee football fans celebrated Nico Iamaleava’s Citrus Bowl MVP performance but wondered what could have been if he started all season.

Could the Vols have done better than a 9-4 record? Could they have beaten Florida? Could they have upset Alabama?

The answer is no to all three. But there’s more nuance to it.

The Vols mailbag was saturated with quarterback questions about Iamaleava and Joe Milton all season. So it’s fitting that we end it on the same divisive topic.

About 100 questions were submitted by UT fans via our free Vols text message group. Before moving into a busy offseason, let’s dive into the final Vols mailbag of the 2023 season.

Would UT’s record had been better with Nico Iamaleava at QB?

No. In fact, there’s as much of a chance that it would’ve been worse.

That’s because UT won Milton’s worst game against Texas A&M, and it needed one of his best games to beat Kentucky 33-27. The Vols probably would’ve beaten Kentucky with Iamaleava, but there wasn’t much margin for error.

Iamaleava would’ve been hindered by dropped passes and injuries on the offensive line just like Milton was.Against Florida, center Cooper Mays would’ve still been out. So that would’ve been a UT loss with Iamaleava.

And UT’s other three losses to Alabama, Georgia and Missouri were by double-digit margins. Maybe they would’ve been closer with Iamaleava, or maybe not. But they’d still be losses.

Will Tennessee regret not starting Nico Iamaleava sooner?

That’s a different conversation.

Iamaleava might’ve been better next season if he had more starts under his belt this season. But the 2023 team may have paid a price for that development.

If Iamaleava struggles early next season but thrives late, we’ll know the answer. For now, he looks ready for 2024, which means it all worked out.

Did Tennessee waste a season with Joe Milton at quarterback?

I don’t think so.

A 9-4 record, Citrus Bowl win and Top 25 finish made for a good season. It’s only a disappointment when compared to the 2022 season.

But it’s reasonable to say that Iamaleava should’ve played more than he did. Longer stretches of play in blowouts would’ve got him ready sooner. And perhaps a goal-line package in competitive games would’ve shown Iamaleava’s potential.

In the regular season, Milton played 772 snaps and Iamaleava played 52 snaps. Perhaps that ratio should’ve been closer to 600 snaps and 224, respectively, even with Milton starting all 12 regular-season games.

But that would've taken a redshirt off the table for Iamaleava, who valued the tutelage as Milton's backup.

"I really just wanted to learn this whole year behind Joe," Iamaleava said. "Getting a year of experience just learning under my belt."

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Gentry Estes admitted he was wrong about Joe Milton over Nico Iamaleava. Will you?

In his column, Estes wrote, “I still thought Milton gave Tennessee the best chance in its biggest games. Turns out, I was wrong.”

He makes a good argument. It’s easier to make it at the end of the season than during it.

The Nico Show that we saw in the Citrus Bowl wouldn’t have been the same early in the season.

In early practices, Iamaleava threw too many interceptions, hadn’t adjusted to the tempo, was slow in progressions and still learning the intricacies of the offense like pass protections and operating the run game. But he improved throughout the season.

Iamaleava could’ve gone through those growing pains as a starter early in the season. But would UT fans had been patient witnessing that development with Milton, the Orange Bowl MVP, on the bench?

In hindsight, maybe. In the moment, nope.

Milton was the right choice to start the first half of the season. The best spot to switch starting quarterbacks was against UConn on Nov. 4, but Milton was coming off a phenomenal performance to beat Kentucky.

The timing just wasn’t right, but it’s easy to forget that in January.

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What was your first impression of Nico Iamaleava’s first start?

Iamaleava has tremendous running instincts, playmaking ability and a live arm. We already knew that. But it was notable that he showed it against Iowa, which was billed as an elite defense.

But, most importantly, Iamaleava was very poised and comfortable running the offense.

Would that have been the case against Florida in September? We’ll never know. But he’s definitely in that mode now, which is the best news for the Vols in 2024.

Was Iowa that bad or Tennessee’s secondary that improved?

Iowa was that bad. It was the worst Power Five offense I’ve ever seen.

Granted, safety Andre Turrentine made a good play on the ball for that interception in the end zone. And UT’s defensive backs appeared to be sound in their assignments.

But they weren’t tested. Iowa threw only five passes beyond 10 yards and none beyond 20 yards.

Why didn’t Iowa throw a deep pass to test Tennessee’s inexperienced?

Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill never had time to throw. UT’s pass rush was on top of him, and he had no mobility to escape. And his receivers couldn’t get open.

Iowa averaged only 2.4 yards per pass attempt, which is worse than any Pop Warner youth game you’ll ever see.

Were receivers or pass protection to blame for UT’s lack of deep passes?

Pass protection was a problem. Iamaleava was sacked six times, and he was hurried more than that.

There were a few times that Squirrel White broke open for a deep passes, but Iamaleava didn’t see him. Ramel Keyton also misjudged a pass that should’ve gone for a big gain.

But UT didn’t press the issue in the second half because it had the game in hand. If the score was close and Keyton caught that pass, Iamaleava could’ve passed for an additional 100 yards.

Should we be concerned about the offensive line after the Citrus Bowl?

Don’t panic. Two starters, right guard Javontez Spraggins and left tackle John Campbell, were out with injuries.

Campbell is returning next season. Spraggins is expected to return, but he hasn’t announced his plans yet.

But there’s a small margin for error. UT needs freshman guard Vysen Lang and freshman tackle Shamurad Umarov to develop into starting level SEC linemen by next season. The Vols could use another lineman from the portal, as well.

Depth could be a concern if injuries occur.

Was letting some players go into the portal a strategy by Tennessee?

I don’t think coaches outright told players to enter the portal. But the writing was on the wall for most of them.

Especially in the secondary, there’s a logjam of talented young defensive backs who need to play. And roster space needed to be cleared to sign a full recruiting class and add players in the portal.

How many Citrus Bowl starters return for 2024 season?

Probably 16 of 22 starters from that game will be back.

On offense, guard Ollie Lane and Keyton have exhausted their eligibility.

On defense, defensive tackle Kurott Garland, linebacker Aaron Beasley and safety Jaylen McCollough have exhausted their eligibility. Cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally has entered the NFL Draft.

Additionally, punt returner Dee Williams and placekicker Charles Campbell have exhausted their eligibility. Those special teams losses can’t be overlooked.

Will Gabe Jeudy-Lally actually get drafted?

I don’t think so.

But keep in mind that players announcing that they’re entering the NFL Draft also means that they’re making themselves available as undrafted free agents.

Jeudy-Lally’s decision is understandable. He has played at three schools in his five-year college career. He will turn 23 years old in February. And he earned his undergraduate degree in only three years at Vanderbilt, and that was two years ago.

Jeudy-Lally will be successful in something, even if it’s not the NFL.

How tight are UT’s scholarship numbers? Can it add more in portal?

UT doesn’t release every player’s scholarship status. But I count 81 on scholarship.

Due to restrictions under NCAA probation, UT needs to cut two or three scholarships per year below the 85 maximum.

That means the Vols can probably add one or maybe two more players before the 2024 season. But expect a few UT players to enter the transfer portal after spring practice in April.

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: We answer questions about Tennessee football including Nico Iamaleava