Nico Iamaleava prepares to play and other Tennessee football storylines from first scrimmage

Tennessee five-star freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava is getting a college football crash course as the season approaches, and starting center Cooper Mays is sidelined after a medical procedure.

Those are two of the key storylines that came out of UT’s first intrasquad scrimmage of preseason practice at Neyland Stadium.

Thursday's scrimmage was closed to the media and public. But coach Josh Heupel shared his thoughts, and here are the most notable nuggets.

Nico Iamaleava preparing to play as freshman

Joe Milton is UT’s starting quarterback. Iamaleava is the backup.

That is clear as the Vols approach the Sept. 2 season opener against Virginia in Nashville.

There are no other scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. Gaston Moore and Navy Shuler return as reserves. And freshman Ryan Damron, a Henry County product, has joined the group.

That means Iamaleava must be ready to play. Heupel said Iamaleava is being pushed in practice with that role in mind.

“You’ve got to grow. You’ve got to be pushed. He’s running everything (in the offense),” Heupel said. “He hasn’t been perfect, but he’s grown. One of the things that we talk about is not making the same mistake twice.

“He doesn’t make the same mistake twice. He learns from it.”

Heupel described Iamaleava’s play in the scrimmage as hit-or-miss. On one play, he tried to fit a pass into a tight window over the middle. As soon as he released it, he recognized that he should have thrown the pass to his outlet receiver on the outside.

“When they finish spring ball and they come back at the beginning of training camp, they should be a different player,” Heupel said. “(Iamaleava) is a different player. He’s got great command and an understanding of what we’re doing.”

Cooper Mays undergoes medical procedure

Mays underwent a minor medical procedure late Wednesday, but Heupel expects him to return before the Virginia game. Heupel did not specify the nature of the procedure.

Mays, a UT senior and former Knox Catholic standout, is a preseason All-SEC selection. He has started 19 consecutive games and serves as the anchor on a revamped offensive line.

"He'll be back. He'll be healthy as we get closer to kickoff," Heupel said. "(We) anticipate that being a couple of weeks deal."

With Mays out, fifth-year senior Ollie Lane slid over to center. Lane, a former Gibbs standout, had been the front-runner to start at left guard. Fifth-year senior Parker Ball, redshirt freshman Addison Nichols and freshman Vysen Lang are the other options at center.

Texas transfer Andrej Karic stepped into the starting left guard spot.

Warren Burrell at new position in secondary

Safety Wesley Walker and nickelback Tamarion McDonald have been sidelined by minor injuries, and they’re likely starters. And safety/nickelback Jourdan Thomas has been limited after undergoing offseason surgery.

So cornerback Warren Burrell has gotten reps at safety and nickelback, what UT calls its Star position.

Burrell has started 22 games, all at cornerback. But he suffered a season-ending injury in the second game last season.

Cornerback is a crowded position, so Burrell could have a better chance of playing if he can fill multiple positions.

BYU transfer Gabe Jeudy-Lally is the new key ingredient at cornerback. Andre Turrentine, who transferred from Ohio State in 2022, is competing with returning starter Jaylen McCollough at the other safety spot.

Dont’e Thornton may force receiver rotation to expand

UT has played only three wide receivers with the No. 1 offense in Heupel’s first two seasons. But he said that might expand slightly, especially with the addition of Oregon transfer Dont’e Thornton.

Bru McCoy, Ramel Keyton and Squirrel White are the top three receivers returning. McCoy had 52 catches for 667 yards and four TDs, and Keyton had 31 receptions for 562 yards and five TDs. White added 30 catches for 481 yards and two TDs as a freshman.

Thornton has practiced mostly at slot receiver, where White is the presumed starter. They’re quite different. Thornton is a 6-foot-5, 214-pounder; White is 5-10, 165 pounds.

But Thornton is also learning routes to play outside receiver. Last season, he had 17 catches for 366 yards and one TD, mostly as a backup at Oregon.

“Dont’e Thornton has the ability to play both (positions),” Heupel said. “This year we probably have a little bit more mobility with guys who can do multiple things within the offense than we’ve played them in the first couple years of that I’ve been here.”

Run game struggles early, finishes strong

Heupel said the rush defense played well early in the scrimmage, specifically the defensive line. That’s not surprising because UT returns talent on the defensive line, and the offensive line has holes.

But by the end of the scrimmage, the running backs found daylight.

Heupel said Jaylen Wright broke a long run and Jabari Small played well. The duo combined for 1,609 yards rushing and 23 TDs last season.

Sophomore Dylan Sampson is pushing to make it a backfield trio. He rushed for 397 yards and six TDs last season.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football first scrimmage: Nico Iamaleava prepares to play