Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava Era Officially Begins At Citrus Bowl As Joe Milton Opts Out

It's officially Nico Iamaleava time in Tennessee. The highly touted quarterback of the 2023 recruiting class will get the start in Monday's Citrus Bowl as Joe Milton has decided to opt-out of the bowl game.

As the Vols prepare to face Iowa on Monday, they will do it behind true-freshman Iamaleava. This is the perfect opportunity for the freshman to officially take over the spot.

In an announcement on social media, Joe Milton said that he will begin the process of preparing for the 2024 NFL Draft. At the end of the day, this was the best move for all parties involved, as it gives Nico his first start, and Milton can avoid an injury.

Now, the Tennessee fan base can get a solid look at who will be leading the team on offense for the next 2-3 years in Knoxville.

This is not uncommon in college football nowadays, especially if you aren't playing for a national championship. But for Joe Milton, he's completed his work for the Vols, holding the team steady as they transitioned from Hendon Hooker to Nico.

At the end of the day, Joe Milton did everything he could to keep the Vols riding high after the 2023 season.

Nico Iamaleava Madness Begins In Tennessee With Citrus Bowl

From the day Nico Iamaleava stepped foot on the Tennessee campus in Knoxville, the hype was through the roof. There were times during the 2023 season that fans were clamoring to see what the freshman could do on the field when the Vols offense sputtered.

But, Josh Heupel never gave in to the noise, sticking with Joe Milton at times when he knew the simple solution could be to start Nico and prepare for 2024. Now, with a whole season of practices under his belt, along with a few outings of mop-up duty, the reigns have been turned over to the freshman.

Nico Iamaleava #8 of the Tennessee Volunteers looks on during warm ups before their game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Neyland Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

It should also be noted that Joe Milton has stuck around the program, participating in practices and meetings over the last month. The former starter is such a team player that he's currently in Orlando with Tennessee, helping the young Nico Iamaleava prepare for his first start.

If Tennessee fans weren't already excited enough about the upcoming bowl game, I'd say this announcement will only make Monday's game even crazier for the fan base.

The Citrus Bowl should open up a few more sections in the upper-deck to sell tickets, because with this announcement I'd expect more Orange to start heading south to Orlando.