The University of Tennessee made a huge splash in the recruiting world on Monday. The Tennessee Vols locked up the commitment of 2023 5-star California quarterback, Nicholaus Iamaleava.

Iamaleava is considered the No. 4 quarterback and the No. 7 player in the 2023 class making him a highly sought after recruit. In fact, the 6-foot-5 quarterback is the highest rated quarterback prospect to choose the Vols since Peyton Manning in 1994.

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While the Crimson Tide were in on Iamaleava, he's not the primary prospect that Nick Saban and his staff are focused on.

Alabama is still in hot pursuit of the nation's No. 1 prospect, quarterback Arch Manning. The Tennessee Vols accepting the commitment from Iamaleava indicate that, while Manning has family ties to Knoxville, they are indeed out on the Louisiana prospect.

So how exactly did the Vols put themselves in position for one of the country's biggest prospects? Name, Image and Likeness.

Stewart Mandel of The Athletic reported last week that a 5-star prospect signed a contract with a school's NIL collective to pay him upwards of $8 million by the end of his junior year.

Following the money and the timing of the reporting lead many to speculate that Iamaleava is that $8 million man.

The Tennessee Vols in head coach Josh Heupel's first year averaged a whopping 475 yards per game.  It may be two seasons before Iamaleava arrives in Knoxvile, but if he lives up to the hype it could be money well spent for the Tennessee Vols.

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