Tennessee football quarterback Nico Iamaleava is one of the Vols players who made the list of candidates for the 2024 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year. Nico enters his first season as the leader of Tennessee’s offense after sitting behind Joe Milton last season.

The Polynesian College Football Player of the Year award is given to “the most outstanding college football player of Polynesian descent who exemplifies great skill and integrity.” The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame maintains the list and award.

Nico will be joined on the watch list by two of his Tennessee teammates ahead of the start of the 2024 college football season: linebacker Keenan Pili and defensive lineman Jaxson Moi.

Pili and Moi came to Tennessee through the transfer portal. Both have plenty of experience at the FBS level. Tennessee fans had high hopes for Pili ahead of the 2023 season, but he was sidelined early with a season-ending injury.

Moi is preparing for his first season in Rocky Top. He has impressed early in fall camp and could earn a valuable spot in the Vols’ defensive line rotation if he continues to improve just a few weeks before the 2024 season officially starts in Knoxville.

While Pili and Moi come to Tennessee with valuable experience, Nico prepares to enter his first college football season as a full-time starter. The former five-star prospect from Long Beach, Calif., has high expectations throughout Vol Nation and the country.

Nico started in the Citrus Bowl last season and led the Vols to a 35-0 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes, using his arms and legs to find the end zone and helping Tennessee to another victory in the Josh Heupel era.

Tennessee’s season officially begins on August 31st. Chattanooga comes to town to face the Vols in week one. The Vols will have some early season tests soon after, facing NC State and Oklahoma in weeks two and four.