It is a busy month for Elijah Yelverton this January. First, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Dallas native traveled to Florida to play in the Under Armour All-American Game and next week he will be enrolling in college at the University of Iowa. We caught up with Yelverton after he helped Team Pressure beat Team Savage 30-24 to talk about his all-star experience, getting ready to begin his career with the Hawkeyes, and much more.

Q: First, can we go back to the Under Armour All-American Game and what you took away from the week in Florida?

YELVERTON: It was great. It was especially great because since I'm enrolling early it gave me one last week before I head up to get a little extra football in and stay focused, so it will be a smooth transition into Iowa. Also having the opportunity to have Pro Bowl coaches and learning from them and everything was great.

Q: You are kind of used to that more than most players probably with Deion Sanders on the coach staff at your school. Was there anyone else you ran into down there that kind of blew you away?

YELVERTON: Yeah, since Deion was coaching me this year, it's a little bit different so I'm probably not blown away as much, but I respect all those guys. Guys like Cam Newton, Ed Reed, and everybody, I look up to those guys.

Q: How did you feel like you performed during the week and then the game itself?

YELVERTON: I felt like I did really well. There's always room for improvement, but I just went in there and worked as hard as I could and tried to show people what I can do on TV before I get up to Iowa.

Q: What did you check in at height and weight wise down there?

YELVERTON: I was 6-5 and 230 pounds.

Q: When do you actually make the move up to Iowa?

YELVERTON: We drive up early in the morning on January 15.

Q: With enrolling early, was that something you always wanted to do and what went into that decision?

YELVERTON: Going into my junior year, I'd heard about some people doing it and it just kind of clicked that if I want to go in and play early, I want to get in the weight program and have extra time to learn the playbook before the season actually starts. It was just something that I wanted to do to try to make it an easier transition than just going in during the fall. Hopefully it will keep me from redshirting.

Q: With Iowa, what have you heard from the coaches as far as the opportunity and what they expect coming in?

YELVERTON: There's definitely opportunity, especially coming in early. They've just said to work my tail off and play like I can play and I'll get an opportunity. Just stuff like that.

Q: Are you rooming with Mason Richman?

YELVERTON: Yes.

Q: Will that help having another freshman that's enrolling early going through that with you?

YELVERTON: Oh, for sure. We'll keep each other accountable. We'll be in a little different situations, but we'll push each other.

Q: Going back to your decision, what do you think it was about Iowa that made it the right fit for you?

YELVERTON: First, it was the coaching staff. That was one of the coaching staffs that when they came to the school, they just approached it differently and I really liked that. Then, of course, how they use their tight ends. They use a lot of 12 personnel, playing with a lot of two tight end sets, and have had players have a lot of success after college. Also, I liked how in Iowa, that's all there is, is the Hawkeyes. There's no professional teams or a lot of other college teams. Just everything all together made it feel right.

Q: Going in there your first year, what do you think you need to work on the most to play as a true freshman?

YELVERTON: First, putting on a little bit of weight. Going in that spring semester, I'll probably try to get up to about 245 pounds. I'm more of an athletic, receiving tight end, but I've been improving my blocking and getting comfortable with my hand on the ground. Still, just improving my technique and getting used to working against defensive ends, but I don't think it's a big obstacle. I've gotten a lot better and more confident with it.

Q: I read somewhere that you haven't bought a winter coat yet. Is that still true?

YELVERTON: No, I haven't. Someone told me that they make them different up there than they do down here because, I'm going to be honest, our coldest days are a lot different than they are up there. So I'm going to go up there and try to find a good, durable, working coat that will keep me warm all winter. They're telling me it's going to be cold, so I'm going to get something good that fits me.

Q: Will that be one of the biggest adjustments for you?

YELVERTON: That's probably the biggest difference between playing in Dallas and Iowa is just the weather, but I'll get adjusted to it after a while.

Q: Academically, what are you interested in studying?

YELVERTON: I'm going in undecided. I just need a little extra time to figure out what I actually want to do. I have some ideas, but I haven't pinpointed anything yet so going in undecided gives me a little bit of extra time to find a major.

Q: Have you found out what number you are wearing at Iowa?

YELVERTON: I have not. I haven't asked or anything. To be honest, I really don't care what they give me.

Q: What do you do from now until you leave in 9-10 days? Are you already done with high school?

YELVERTON: Yeah, I actually finished my classes and graduated in early December. Now it's just working out and training and spending some time with family. I think we're going to go on a hunting trip next week and then come back and get ready to leave.

Q: What's the hunting trip?

YELVERTON: We just go out in West Texas where we have some property and hopefully find some deer.

Yelverton, who chose Iowa over 35 other Division I scholarship offers, finished his senior season with 62 catches for 594 yards and nine touchdowns as helped Trinity Christian win a state championship.

See highlights from Yelverton's senior year in the video below.