By Tim Peterson
(Long Beach) – Long Beach Poly quarterback Nico Iamaleava Jr. has committed to Tennessee he announced Monday.
Iamaleava Jr. who played at Warren last season as a junior, but transferred back to his original school Long Beach Poly last week, is considered the number 3 prospect in the nation behind quarterbacks Arch Manning and Malachi Nelson.
Iamaleava threw for 2,244 yards and 33 touchdowns with just one interception while leading Warren to an 8-1 overall record. The Bears won the San Gabriel Valley League and went 8-0 in the regular season before falling in the first round of the CIF Division 2 Playoffs to Corona Del Mar 42-35.
“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 “The fan support is incredible and I just love how passionate football is out there.”
Was he the unnamed 5 star player who got a 8 million dollar NIL deal?
Here’s wishing this guy the best at Tennessee, but before that happens, he will hopefully help Poly regain some of the luster it’s lost over the last several seasons of Trinty league dominance. I’ve grown weary of having St. John Bosco rob Lakewood and Poly of all its top talent, so this a good thing. Pearson will be fine at Warren, because he is no slouch at assembling great squads from the area’s 2nd tier prospects.