Urban Meyer Names SEC Dark Horse To Win The National Championship In 2025

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“Nico (Iamaleava), the quarterback at Tennessee,” Meyer said on Wednesday’s episode of The Triple Option podcast with Rob Stone and Mark Ingram. “I remember when I first started studying them last year and I called Brady Quinn and Matt Leinart and said, ‘What am I missing here? This guy looks like a bonafide … he looks like Aaron Rodgers.’ The ball comes out of his hand like a tennis ball.”

Despite inconsistent play during his first full season as Tennessee’s starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava still lived up to his five-star hype by leading the Volunteers to a 10-3 record and the program’s first College Football Playoff appearance in 2024. Iamaleava finished last season with for 2,616 yards on 63.8-percent passing and 19 touchdowns to just five interceptions.

“He got really inconsistent and that team around him got a little inconsistent, and they still had a heck of a year,” Meyer continued about Iamaleava. “If that kid grows as a quarterback … I asked the question after watching, and I know he wasn’t playing great teams, but just his physical ability, his size, speed, athleticism, (the way) the ball comes out, I saw him as a high first-round draft pick. Now, it remains to be seen, but I’ll pick Tennessee.”

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