With a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff on the line, No. 7 Tennessee will reportedly be without freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava when they head out on the road to take on No. 12 Georgia this Saturday, according to Fox Sports’ Chris Fallica.
Fallica discussed Nico Iamaleava’s status during an interview with UGASports.com on Tuesday, revealing that the quarterback is unlikely to recover in time to face Georgia due to a serious concussion.
“I’m not sure what you’ve heard about Nico Iamaleava playing this week,” Fallica said. “But from what I’ve been told, it’s a bad concussion, and those I’ve spoken to don’t think he’ll be ready to play.”
Fallica also noted that Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel had recently sounded more optimistic about Iamaleava’s potential return, which was likely intended to keep Georgia guessing and prepare for the possibility of the freshman starting on Saturday.
Iamaleava was sidelined in the second half of Tennessee’s win over Mississippi State last Saturday after suffering an upper-body injury in the second quarter.
As reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Tuesday, Iamaleava is currently in concussion protocol, with his availability for the Georgia game still up in the air.
While Heupel expressed confidence earlier in the week that Iamaleava would “be in great shape” for Saturday’s game, it remains uncertain whether the freshman will be able to suit up.
If Iamaleava is unable to go, senior Gaston Moore would likely start at quarterback. Moore stepped in for Iamaleava last Saturday, though he has never started a game for Tennessee in his four years with the program. This lack of experience could put Tennessee at a disadvantage, especially against Georgia’s formidable defense.
Regardless of who starts at quarterback, the uncertainty surrounding Tennessee’s signal-caller doesn’t bode well for the Volunteers as they look to snap their seven-game losing streak to Georgia this weekend.
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