Urban Meyer worries about Nico Iamaleava's development: “You look like a mess”

Nico Iamaleava lit up the world in three games and lived up to the five-star rating he was given during the recruiting process. However, the next three competitions were not so nice Tennessee Offensive struggles. One game before canceling Alabama The game didn't go the way the Vols expected after Iamaleava's great start.

It's gotten to the point where Urban Meyer is concerned about the route the quarterback is on. Meyer was originally a fan of Iamaleava and called out other Big Noon Kickoff hosts Matt Leinart And Brady Quinnwondered if an NFL team would select him in the first round.

But after watching Iamaleava play against SEC opponents, he described the situation as “a mess.”

“Right now they’re in reverse gear,” Meyer said. “Twenty points per game in the last three games. Twenty points a game, that's usually in the first half. They just don’t look right, they look a complete mess.”

Meyer mentioned that the team is lacking offensively from a scoring perspective, but from a personal perspective, Iamaleava's stats aren't particularly noteworthy. In four straight games, he passed for under 200 yards with just two touchdowns. If there is a positive, the first-year starter won't turn the ball over, as his only interception down the stretch came Saturday against Florida.

Still, his head coach isn't worried about Iamaleava's play. Josh Heupel just wants to prepare for what's next on the schedule – a big rivalry game against Alabama in Knoxville. He still sees a lot of positives and believes that the growth process is taking place.

“Nico played well. He hasn't played his best football in the last few weeks. Let's prepare and practice and play the next game, the next game with an aggressive mentality. And there are a lot of things that he did well in football, so he just has to continue to develop,” said Heupel.

Iamaleava will be able to experience the third Saturday in October in front of a packed Neyland Stadium for the first time as a player. Meyer may be worried about the Tennessee offense, but there seems to be some confidence internally.