On line -- TE Austin Vier

Iowa coaches saw Austin Vier and his 6-foot-7, 228-pound frame in a summer camp and they decided they wanted him.

The thrill of the recruiting chase lasted one day. Maybe it was closer to a day and half.

“It did happen really fast, just one day,” the Ballard High School senior said. “I wasn't expecting it.”

Vier's recruiting hadn't reached the offer stage. The 6-foot-7, 220-pounder played quarterback for Ballard last fall. Ballard was mostly a running team and Vier's numbers reflected that - 57 of 117 for 690 yards, six TDs and 10 interceptions.

He went into this summer as sort of an unknown. On the radar, but not quite in range of an offer.

Then he showed up at Iowa's football camp in mid-June.

He arrived on a Tuesday. He was called into a room for a meeting with offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe sometime during the week. After spending camp bouncing between QB and tight end, recruiting coordinator Eric Johnson offered a scholarship by the end.

“Iowa was always my first choice,” Vier said. “That was my dream school. I talked to the coaches a little bit when I accepted the offer and went down there. I talked to them a little bit about their faith program, their education and then, obviously, their football is really good. I knew I'd fit in the program.”

He received the official written offer in the mail on Friday. He returned to Iowa City on Saturday and accepted.

“They said my film was a little bit above average, but what put me over the top was how well I performed at camp,” said Vier, who also had interest from Nebraska, Missouri, Purdue, Minnesota and Iowa State.

The early projections on Vier were QB, but he wore No. 81 as a tight end during his redshirt freshman season.

Then, in March, head coach Kirk Ferentz announced that Vier suffered a back injury and would be held out of spring.

KCCI video

Ferentz on Vier's injury

Three most interesting bio items a year in . . . 1) Earned three varsity letters as quarterback and tight end (Ballard High School); 2) Optometry major; 3) played wide receiver as a sophomore at Nevada.

Key quote . . . Kirk Ferentz: “Austin Vier has developed some serious back issues right now, so he has not really done much of anything for several weeks here. I don't anticipate him doing anything this spring. We're waiting to see how that materializes."

Ferentz has said most of the players who were held out of spring drills would be ready for summer conditioning. It's not clear if Vier was part of that group.

Standing after spring . . . Up in the air. Ferentz hasn't specifically addressed Vier's health.

A group of three -- senior Brad Herman, junior Zach Derby and sophomore C.J. Fiedorowicz -- has separated themselves from the pack at tight end. Vier might've been looking at a scout team/weightroom season and still may be.

With three more tight ends in the '11 freshman class, maybe the long-term plans for Vier were something on the O-line? It's all on hold for now, until the back issues are cleared up.