Latest news with #ex-Tennessee
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UNC football coach Bill Belichick gives early thoughts on the transfer quarterback
During the time period this offseason when many fans were evaluating the idea that the UNC football team could sign ex-Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava, South Alabama transfer QB made himself available and became the Tar Heels' target. Lopez committed to North Carolina and immediately entered a quarterback battle with Max Johnson and freshman Bryce Baker. The 6-foot-0 QB from James Clemens HS in Madison, Alabama, was a three-star prospect out of high school and a three-star prospect, just a two-point differential in rating, according to 247Sports. Advertisement However, Belichick loves the underrated player that he believes can evolve to something better than anyone else believes he is. Now, coach has had time to evaluate that decision and spoke on on what he thought of Lopez. Quoted via Inside Carolina, this is what Belichick had to say when asked about what he thought about Gio Lopez: "Gio was really productive at South Alabama. He's a dual-threat quarterback. He's had plenty of production, yardage, and both running game and passing game experience. Tough kid, played well against some good competition, teams like LSU. So looks like he's definitely ready for this level. And we're excited to work with him, as we are with everybody else." Last season, in Lopez's freshman year at South Alabama, he threw for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns with five interceptions. He finished the season with a 150.8 QB rating and a 66% completion percentage. He averaged 8.2 yards per throw on the mid-major squad. Advertisement Lopez will now enter Power 4 territory and could have the opportunity to be the first starting quarterback under the Bill Belichick era. There is still plenty of practice to go between now and the opening kickoff against TCU in September. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Bill Belichick gives early thoughts on UNC QB Gio Lopez
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Historic College Football Program Lands Former National Championship Coach
Historic College Football Program Lands Former National Championship Coach originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tennessee Volunteers made an addition to their coaching staff Monday. CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported the Volunteers hired defensive assistant coach Marion Hobby. Advertisement An ex-Tennessee first-team All-SEC player, Hobby will serve as a defensive analyst for the Volunteers. "Hobby, a former All-SEC player at Tennessee, has coached in four NFL conference championship games (Saints, Jaguars, Bengals 2x) and a Super Bowl," Zenitz posted on X. "Hobby was also part of Clemson's 2016 national championship team." Hobby spent the past four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals as their defensive line coach. The longtime assist had been an NFL defensive line coach since 2017. From 2017-18, he coached the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive line. Before joining the Bengals, Hobby coached for the Miami Dolphins from 2019-20. New Tennessee Volunteers defensive assistant Marion Hobby© Albert Cesare-Imagn Images Hobby played defensive end at Tennessee in the late 1980s. The Minnesota Vikings drafted him at No. 74 overall during the third round of the 1990 NFL Draft. Advertisement Hobby never appeared in a game for the Vikings, but he played 42 contests for the New England Patriots. The defensive end began his coaching career as a strength and conditioning coach for the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks in 1995. Hobby was an assistant strength and conditioning coach with Tennessee's 1998 national championship team. He received his first opportunity to coach a defensive line unit with the Ole Miss Rebels in 1999. Hobby coached at Ole Miss for five years and then spent one season with the Clemson Tigers before jumping to the NFL with the New Orleans Saints. After two seasons with the Saints, Hobby returned to the college ranks with the Duke Blue Devils. He then became co-defensive coordinator at Clemson from 2011-16 before going back to the NFL. Advertisement Clearly, Hobby will bring decades of experience to the Tennessee defensive staff. "The Volunteers are hoping to get back to the College Football Playoff, and adding an experienced coach who knows what it takes to succeed in Knoxville is a huge move," wrote On3's Steve Samra. Related: Tennessee Football Gets Good News on Coveted Running Back This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
22-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Madden Iamaleava, brother of Nico Iamaleava, enters the transfer portal
Arkansas quarterback Madden Iamaleava, the younger brother of ex-Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, has entered the transfer portal, a team source told The Athletic. Iamaleava, a four-star incoming freshman and native of Long Beach, Calif., enrolled at Arkansas in January. He had been committed to UCLA for seven months before decommitting from UCLA and committing to Arkansas on Dec. 4, during the early signing period. Advertisement His father, Nic Iamaleava, told 247Sports they committed to UCLA without visiting the campus. He had been one of the top prospects in first-year coach DeShaun Foster's incoming recruiting class. Madden Iamaleava's entrance into the portal comes a day after his older brother announced plans to sign with UCLA after transferring from Tennessee. On Sunday, UCLA announced Nico Iamaleava's arrival to the program. 'This decision was incredibly difficult, and truthfully, not something I expected to make this soon. But I trust God's timing, and I believe He's leading me where I need to be,' Iamaleava said in an Instagram post. Nico Iamaleava signed a four-year deal worth around $8 million in 2022 when he was still a high school senior. This offseason, Iamaleava's representatives asked Tennessee to restructure his contract and were ultimately rebuffed. On April 11, a day before Tennessee's spring game, Iamaleava didn't show up for the Volunteers' practice. The following day, Heupel said the program was moving on from the returning starter at quarterback. As for Madden Iamaleava, he and three-star receiver Jace Brown, who also flipped from UCLA and signed with Arkansas on Dec. 4, left Warren High School for Long Beach Poly three games into the 2024 season. Nic Iamaleava told the Press Telegram that the decision was built around receiving different coaching and improving the chemistry between the pass-catch combo. Neither played a game at Long Beach Poly after being ruled ineligible. (Photo of Nico Iamaleava (10) playing for Warren High School in 2023: Ventura County Star / Imagn Images)
