Nicholaus “Nico” Iamaleava Jr.’s older brother, Matt, was one of the top high school volleyball players in the country at Long Beach State in 2021. His younger brother, Madden, is one of the top prep quarterbacks in the country and is a part of the 2025 class.
But Iamaleava provided the best of both worlds in high school.
Where Did Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava Play in High School?
Iamaleava was born in Long Beach, Calif., and played at both Long Beach Polytechnic High School and Warren High School in Downey, Calif.
After a year at his hometown school, Iamaleava enrolled at Warren and lit up the competition.
In a pandemic-shortened sophomore season, Iamaleava led his team to a 5-0 record and completed 60% of his passes for 1,0004 yards, 17 touchdowns, and one interception.
His junior year was even more prolific, as Iamaleava generated 2,244 yards, 33 TDs, and one pick in an 8-1 campaign. The lone loss came in the opening round of the playoffs when Iamaleava suffered a concussion early in the second quarter.
That offseason, Iamaleava enrolled at Long Beach Poly, saying the move was his plan from the beginning. However, he ultimately transferred back to Warren to conclude his high school career.
The California native’s numbers dropped some, as he only produced 1,726 yards and 25 TDs through the air, but Iamaleava did add 399 rushing yards and six more scores to power the Bears to a 9-2 record.
Iamaleava was named Polynesian Football Player of the Year for his efforts and the MVP of the Polynesian Bowl after throwing for 186 yards and a touchdown. And if the statistics, winning prowess, and accolades weren’t enough, he landed at No. 17 on 247Sports’ 2023 Freaks List:
“Not only does Iamaleava have measurables that will likely have NFL front offices drooling one day (6-foot-5.5 with an 81-inch wingspan and 10-inch hands), he also happens to be an elite volleyball player and one who could have probably played in college if he didn’t happen to have a rocket launcher for an arm.
“In the final volleyball game of his prep career, Iamaleva totaled 27 kills as he bounced around the gym like a bunny rabbit. Just watch.”
As a consensus five-star prospect and the No. 2 overall recruit in the country, he had his choice of collegiate home but ultimately chose Tennessee over Georgia, Oregon, Alabama, and Miami.
“I really like the city of Knoxville; that southern hospitality is just different out there, and having my mom out there with me and seeing how much she loved it meant a lot,” Iamaleavea told 247Sports at the time. “The fan support is incredible and I just love how passionate football is out there.”
Iamaleavea also said head coach Josh Heupel’s offensive scheme and development of QBs drew him to the Vols, believing Heupel could “get the best out of me and help me reach my dreams of playing in the NFL.”
After graduating high school early, Iamaleavea was able to participate in Orange Bowl practice with the Vols and even attended the games before attending his first spring program.
The Volunteers have been spoiled with gifted QBs in the Heupel era. Joe Milton III wasn’t Hendon Hooker last year, but he still led Tennessee to an 8-4 regular-season record.
Iamaleava finished the 2023 campaign with a Citrus Bowl victory over Iowa, showcasing the physical tools that had fans hyping him up as an early 2024 Heisman candidate.
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His skill set meshes well with Heupel’s high-octane offense, but don’t take my word for it.
Hooker called Iamaleavea the “chosen one” after the bowl win, and in the leadup to this season’s opener, Heupel said, “Nico’s got great command of what we’re doing, sees the field extremely well, can push it vertically, extremely accurate over the middle of the football field, anticipates windows extremely well – feel like with his skill set, the playbook is wide open for us.”
As he steps into the full-time starting with the Volunteers, all eyes will be on Iamaleavea to see if he can live up to the hype and fulfill the promise that has already earned him such high praise.
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