Four-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava (6-5 195) of Downey, CA is one of the hottest names going in the 2023 recruiting cycle and he’s taking a few weeks to visit college campuses around the country with his father. He spent the weekend of June 11th and 12th at Clemson and said he enjoyed everything about the trip.
Iamaleava earned an offer at Ohio State’s camp this month and the Buckeyes join a long list of suitors that include UCLA, Southern Cal, Florida St., Georgia, Oregon, Texas A&M, and Utah. The second-cousin of Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, Iamaleava took part in a photo shoot once arriving at Clemson before working out the following morning.
After the long cross-country trip, Iamaleava described what it was like to see the Clemson campus and visit with the coaches.
“It was great. There were a lot of trees out there,” Iamaleava illustrated in painting a picture of the Upstate. “I had a lot of fun connecting with the coaching staff. I love Coach (Brandon) Streeter, and Dabo is a great guy. Overall, the whole campus and the entire coaching staff are both great. I got to see the locker room and got to see DJ’s locker at the stadium. The stadium is huge.”
He wasn’t offered during his visit, but the coaches let him know they are going to keep the lines of communication open.
“I don’t know yet about an offer,” he said. “The coaches told me they wanted to keep our relationship and they would let me know after camp. That was pretty much it.”
Iamaleava and his father also visited Alabama and Georgia while in the Southeast, adding that getting away from California and seeing difference places has been eye-opening.
“This has been a great experience for me. It was a little bit different for me at first with all of the traveling and the flights we had to take and stuff like that,” Iamaleava said. “Getting sleep is different and this is just a different experience for me.”
The highly touted rising junior says that the visit to Clemson reinforced his desire to work hard.
“That has always been one of my goals and I know I have to work,” he said. “I know what I have to do to perfect my craft. I didn’t get here without working. I don’t mind the hard word and the mindset for me never changes. I know I have to work for whatever I get.”
This week Iamaleava has hit up the locals with unofficial visits to Southern Cal and UCLA. He is ranked the #5 quarterback nationally in his class in the 247Sports Composite.
Other Notes:
Kansas transfer SAF Karon Prunty will announce decision this weekend between USC and Tennessee. He visited both earlier in the month.
Spring Valley QB DQ Smith visited Virginia Tech Monday.
DB Bryson Jones of Hutchinson JC, KS and White Knoll committed to Charleston Southern.
College of Charleston signed 6-8 swingman Babacar Faye of Senegal. He played at NBA Academy of Africa, averaging 18 points and 8 rebound per game.
