KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee football will see the highly anticipated first start for quarterback Nico Iamaleava in the Citrus Bowl.
Joe Milton, who has started every game this year, wrote in an Instagram post he will not play in the bowl game because he intends to enter the NFL Draft.
"Playing inside Club Neyland was amazing - the energy, the noise and especially Running Through the "T". I'm going to miss it all," he said. "Playing in the NFL has always been my dream since I was 4 years old. Now it's time to turn those dreams into reality as I begin preparing for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Iamaleava was a highly touted prospect in the Class of 2023, rated one of the top prospects in the class as a five-star recruit.
Iamaleava had apparatus in four games this season for the Vols. He threw his first career touchdown against UConn. He completed 5 of 9 passes in that game for 86 yards. In the last game of the season against Vanderbilt, Iamaleava completed 9 of 12 passes for 66 yards through the air.
He will become just the fourth true freshman to start a bowl game for the Vols. Tyler Bray, Casey Clausen and Peyton Manning are the others. Manning is the only one to lead UT to a win in the 1994 Gator Bowl.
Milton threw for 2,818 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. He also threw five interceptions. Milton ran in seven touchdowns as well.
He has been invited to play in the Senior Bowl as his eligibility in college has come to an end.
The Citrus Bowl will be on Jan . 1 in Orlando as the Vols take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at 1 p.m.