Hawkeyes, Diante Vines Hoping He Can Help

Injured Receiver Returning to Depleted Position

Iowa receiver Diante Vines speaks with reporters on Oct. 25, 2022 at the team's indoor practice facility in Iowa City, Iowa. (Rob Howe. HawkeyeNation.com)

Diante Vines wants to be a playmaker.

And the Iowa wide receiver laughed at the thought that maybe his rehabilitation work will help him make some big catches.

Vines, a third-year sophomore, is on the depth chart for Saturday’s game against Northwestern at Kinnick Stadium after getting to play in last week’s 54-10 loss at Ohio State.

An offense that needs someone to make a big play might be getting that from Vines, who said his goal is to do anything possible to get the Hawkeyes going.

“Wherever they put me out on the field, I’m just trying to provide a spark,” Vines said this week. “Maybe I get a handoff, maybe I get a quick out.

“I like to have YAC (yards after catch), stuff like that. If I get a quick hit, I should be able to do something with the ball.”

Vines was expected to be a part of a young wide receiver group that needs depth, but a wrist injury kept him out until last week’s game. His one catch for five yards didn’t have much of an impact in the game, but to Vines, it meant so much.

“It was pretty cool,” he said. “It happened so fast, I couldn’t even tell you what happened.”

Vines is No. 2 on the depth chart this week, and coach Kirk Ferentz hopes he will continue to progress.

“I’m hopeful we'll see some impact,” Ferentz said. “He's a good football player. We've known that for a couple of years.”

Ferentz paused when he considered the injuries Vines has had with the Hawkeyes.

“Let me rephrase that,” he said. “We've suspected it ,and we got him out there especially last spring and this summer until he busted that bone.”

The broken bone in his wrist, though, didn’t keep Vines from getting in work.

“Just stay focused when you’re out, really,” Vines said when asked what was the key to returning and making an impact. “Coming back, it didn’t feel like crazy to me, because when I was out with my hand injury, I was still running routes, making one-handed catches, keeping my legs going. It sucks to have an injury, but I was very blessed that it was an upper-body injury, so I could keep my legs going. So, coming back wasn’t really a struggle for me.

“It was kind of second nature for me. It wasn’t hard, because I kept doing it.”

And all of those one-handed catches could help him make a replay-worthy reception.

“I think I could make a few good one-handed catches in a game,” Vines said, laughing. “Catch a ball this way, this way, this way. It could be a highlight play.”

“You're excited about him, excited what you see them do in practice,” Ferentz said. “You catch yourself this guy hasn't played a game yet as a Hawkeye and the same with Logan (Jones) coming into the season, hasn't played a game as a center but yet he gave you a lot to be excited about watching him in practice. I felt the same with Diante, hopefully he can help over the next five weeks, getting him and Nico (Ragaini) back and that should help and help Arland (Bruce) out there a little bit and getting Brody (Brecht) back working.”

Vines still wears a motocross brace on his hand, which doesn’t prevent him from making catches.

“Everything I need to do, I’m able to do with the brace,” Vines said. “It’s more of a preventative thing.”

The opportunity to play, he said, is what matters.

“I just know that injuries are a part of the game,” he said. “I’ve had a few injuries in my time, so I know it’s part of the game. I just worked through stuff, knowing that when my time came, I’d be ready. Whenever I have a chance to get on the field, I’m going to take advantage of it.”