Elite 2023 QB Nico Iamaleava raves about Notre Dame football
If Notre Dame was to make an outside hire for its new head coach after Brian Kelly bolted for LSU, then the Irish’s future recruiting board would’ve looked a lot different. Elevating Marcus Freeman to head coach and retaining Tommy Rees as offensive coordinator kept the Irish’s 2023 recruiting efforts intact.
Notre Dame can continue to recruit a prospect such as Downey (Calif.) Warren’s Nico Iamaleava, the nation’s No. 4 pro-style quarterback and No. 43 overall player in the 2023 class, without a hitch. And that’s a good thing because the elite signal caller has high interest in Notre Dame. He visited Notre Dame for the Irish’s 27-13 win over Purdue in September and raved about every second of his trip.
“I love Notre Dame,” Iamaleava stated. “When I went out there to see it, they had their green-out and the whole stadium was full. All you could see was green. The fans knew me and were chanting my name. It was amazing. I felt very at home. It was a great experience meeting Coach Rees, and I talk to him probably twice a week. We’ve built a great relationship.
“I actually didn’t have an offer until I got out there. Coach Rees is a great, family-oriented guy. Notre Dame is a great place. I just felt it. Man, it was a great experience. They treated us like family. When you get treated like family, you can’t complain about anything.”
The football side of Notre Dame sticks out to Iamaleava, and so does the academics that the university offers.
“Without football, it’s a great school,” the 6-6, 205-pounder said. “When you get out of school, Notre Dame puts you in a great spot to be successful in life. It’s a big thing to say you graduated from Notre Dame. I had an overall great time there.”
Part of Notre Dame’s pitch to Iamaleava is that he can help push the Fighting Irish from a College Football Playoff to a national championship winning squad.
“They’re a top team in my opinion, and they have a great defense,” explained Iamaleava. “If I were to go there, they’d for sure be in the top four conversation. They need a top quarterback, and I would fit great in that offense. I went out there for the Purdue game, and they couldn’t get the passing game going. I feel that I can make those throws and ability to bring that.”
During his nine-game junior season, Iamaleava completed 162 of 272 passes for 2,244 yards with 33 touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for 158 yards and three touchdowns on 32 attempts.
Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon and Tenneseee are among the schools in pursuit of Iamaleava.
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