Reports: Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava clears concussion protocol ahead of Georgia game

Tennessee will have its starting quarterback Saturday night against Georgia.

According to more reportsNico Iamaleava has been cleared from concussion protocol and will start for the No. 7 Volunteers in Athens vs. No. 12 Bulldogs (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC). Iamaleava missed the second half of the Vols’ Week 11 win over Mississippi State.

On Monday, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Iamaleava would be good to go for the weekend. But he needed to get through the concussion protocol, a development that became public Tuesday.

Iamaleava is 144-of-221 passing for 1,879 yards and has thrown 11 TDs to four interceptions this season. He began the season as a Heisman Trophy favorite, though he has fallen from that race as Tennessee’s offense has struggled to find explosive plays under its SEC roster.

Had Iamaleava missed Saturday’s game, Gaston Moore would have been in line to make his first start. Moore replaced Iamaleava in the second half against Mississippi State and was 5-of-8 passing for 38 yards.

Georgia is likely playing for its College Football Playoff life Saturday night. The Bulldogs fell to the first team out of the 12-team bracket in Tuesday’s rankings and would drop further with a third loss. With games remaining against UMass and Georgia Tech, it seems unlikely that Georgia could make the playoffs at 9-3.

Tennessee, meanwhile, could have a path to the playoffs even if it loses Saturday night. The Vols were able to finish the season 10-2 with wins over UTEP and Vanderbilt to end the season. It could be good enough to sneak into the field depending on how the rest of the conference shakes out.