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The Tennessee Volunteers take on the Florida Gators in a thrilling SEC contest in Week 7. The Vols' four-game winning streak came to an end following a 19-14 loss to Arkansas in Week 5.
With that defeat, Tennessee has recorded a 4-1 campaign so far. But despite this, they are still in the race to qualify for the 12-team playoffs. Here's a closer look at who will be the Vols' starting quarterback in Week 7 against Florida.
Tennessee starting QB against Florida
Nico Iamaleava will continue his duties as the starting quarterback for the Volunteers. In his second season with the team, Iamaleava was named as the QB1 for this season.
So far, he has showcased commendable skills to lead Josh Heupel's team on the gridiron. He helped Tennessee secure a four-game winning streak to start the 2024 campaign before losing to Arkansas last week.
In five games, the quarterback has recorded a total of 1,050 passing yards and seven TD passes while throwing for just two interceptions. Iamaleava started his high school journey with Warren High School before playing for Long Beach Polytechnic High School.
The quarterback then decided to commit to the Vols as a part of the 2023 recruiting class. During his freshman campaign last season, Iamaleava served as the backup to starting quarterback Joe Milton. In the five games that he played, he tallied a total of 314 passing yards and two TD passes.
Ahead of the Week 7 showdown, Florida coach Billy Napier also had high praise for the Vols quarterback. Napier commended Iamaleava's skills and talent and considered him a real threat on the gridiron (via On3.com):
"He's a unicorn," Napier said. "This guy is 6-6. I don't know how much he weights but he is big, athletic- he is ripping in the balls in the outside third, 15, 20 yards deep.
"He is throwing all the vertical shots. He has a big-time arm. He is accurate. He can escape, extend. He is a young player. He is getting experience. He will continue to get better. A lot of hype around him and I think on the tape you can see why," he added.
Tennessee' quarterback depth chart
Apart from Nico Iamaleava as the starting quarterback, the Vols also have other options in the quarterback depth chart in the form of redshirt senior Gaston Moore and freshman Jake Merklinger.
Moore began his collegiate career with the UCF Knights in 2020 before transferring to the Vols. He is in the midst of his fifth season and has so far made 11 appearances for his team.
This season, he played in two games, one during the season-opener against Chattanooga and also during the Vols' 71-0 blowout victory over Kent State. So far he has recorded a total of 163 passing yards and TD passes.
On the other hand, Jake Merklinger joined Tennessee as a part of the recruiting class of 2024. He also saw limited playing time against Chattanooga and Kent State while recording 48 passing yards for his team.
