Kevin Pearson knows quarterbacks.
Pearson coached Bryce Young at Los Angeles Cathedral before the former five-star and Alabama superstar QB transferred to Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei. Pearson currently coaches Tennessee pledge and five-star Nico Iamaleava at Downey (Calif.) Warren.
Pearson has seen the best of the best. And Iamaleava lives up to that billing.
“The first thing that jumps out is his arm strength,” Pearson said. “He has a plus, plus arm and he has a quick release, too. It’s a lot like Bryce Young, where the ball just jumps off his hand. The other thing he does is at 6-foot-6 he plays like he’s a 6-foot little scrambling type of guy.
“He’s so great getting in and out of the pocket. His footwork is so good he makes multiple guys miss in the pocket, and I don’t ever remember him being sacked by the first guy. He’s always sidestepping guys and ducking away from guys and slithering away from guys.
“He has exceptionally long strides so his speed is deceiving. He can beat you with his feet, too, but he’s not going to be a zone-read kind of quarterback. When he’s running the ball he’s going to get those extra yards because he’s going to make the first guy miss and he’s going to fall forward. He’s exceptional in his running ability as well and that’s where people don’t give him enough credit.”
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That’s not all. Iamaleava has high football intelligence and he runs with the determination of a bruising running back – something Pearson is trying to teach out of the five-star quarterback to preserve his body and lessen injury risk, especially as he prepares for the brutality of SEC football.
It’s instinctual with Iamaleava, though, and that toughness is not easily separated out.
“He has an exceptionally high IQ,” Pearson said. “He’s always finding guys and understands defensive concepts and what they’re trying to do. He has free rein right now to check out of things, which he does. He’s tremendously tough. Things don’t bother him.
“There are not a lot of weaknesses in his game. There really isn’t. With Bryce, there weren’t a lot of weaknesses with him. He was a point guard, a creator. I knew early on not to mess with Bryce. When you have exceptional athletes you let them be who they are. You don’t try to take things away from them. One of the things Nico does well is he runs the ball well and he dishes punishment, but you want him to slide in situations.”
Over the years, Pearson has not only coached top quarterbacks and followed them especially in the Southern California scene, but he’s also worked Elite 11 camps. Matt Corral had maybe the best arm he’s ever seen, and Young was one of the savviest players he’s ever been around.
Iamaleava is a mix of both.
“Nico’s arm strength is pretty close to the top,” Pearson said. “What makes Nico’s arm stronger is what makes Bryce’s arm stronger. It’s the quick decision-making and release. The ball jumps out quicker so it doesn’t have to travel in the air as long as some guys. That’s why they’re both very accurate.
“Those two things really set Bryce and Nico apart is their quick decision-making and their quick release.”
Quarterback debates in California are always lively and always animated. A few years ago there was heated discussion over whether Young or fellow five-star DJ Uiagalelei was the better player.
This recruiting cycle, Iamaleava is joined by five-stars Malachi Nelson out of Los Alamitos, Calif., Dante Moore from Detroit Martin Luther King and Arch Manning from New Orleans Isidore Newman as the five-stars in the 2023 class.
Pearson knows his pick as the top dog in the class.
“Nico is going to be the top quarterback in two or three years when they’re all in college,” Pearson said. “He’ll be the top guy because of all those intangibles.”
And NIL deals won’t change Iamaleava’s gravitational pull with teammates.
“Nico will win them over because his personality is infectious,” Pearson said. “He’s always pumping guys up. He doesn’t big-time anybody. He might wear the glasses and the pajama bottoms, but once you know him he’s one of the most accommodating, gracious, respectful kids I've ever met.
“He’s going to command that locker room. They’re going to love him because of his work ethic and how he treats people. He’s going to win that locker room over in a second. Not only is he elite as an athlete but he’s elite as a young man.”
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