Scott Dochterman, CR Gazette –
IOWA CITY — Iowa recruited Nate Meier as an athlete, meaning the coaches would find him a home after seeing him compete in practice.
For now, the freshman from Fremont-Mills High School will work at running back, an obvious need for the Hawkeyes.
“That is a position that he came in that he really wanted to give a shot to,” Iowa running backs coach Lester Erb said. “So we’re working him right now in the backfield.”
Meier, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 235 pounds, was named the state’s 8-man player of the year. He rushed for 2,497 yards and 57 touchdowns as a senior while leading his school to the state title. He scored 61 touchdowns overall. As a junior he ran for 1,674 yards and 30 touchdowns.
But Meier was equally as impressive on defense. He recorded 34 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and two interceptions last year, and had 29 tackles for loss as a junior.
There’s plenty of time for Meyer to switch to defense, but right now Iowa is giving him a shot at running back.
“We’ve only been here four days,” Erb said. “We’re giving guys a chance. It’s pretty much open season there. We’re going to give everyone a good look.”
