This month, 6-foot-5, 285-pound Mason City offensive tackle Benjamin Pederson was in Iowa City and was able to get a better feel for what the Hawkeye coaches are seeking during the recruiting process. We caught up with Pederson to get a complete update.

Q: How was your trip on Sunday at Iowa?

PEDERSON: Overall, it was good just being around everyone. I had a great time interacting with everyone.

Q: What was your schedule during the day?

PEDERSON: Right away when we got there, we ate and took pictures. We were able to go outside and look around. The coaches got introduced after that. Then we took a tour of the facility and had some other speakers during that. We had a player panel and some positional meetings.

Q: What was the most memorable part of your day?

PEDERSON: The positional meeting was my favorite.

Q: What did you learn about Iowa during those positional meetings?

PEDERSON: What they do on a daily basis and what they are looking for.

Q: How would you describe what they are looking for in a recruit?

PEDERSON: A tough, smart, and physical kid that is willing to work hard.

Q: What coaches did you talk with most and how were those conversations?

PEDERSON: Coach Niemann and Coach Polasek. Those conversations were very positive and went well overall.

Q: Did they say anything about you as a recruit/player?

PEDERSON: Not really.

Q: How do you feel about the Iowa program?

PEDERSON: They are a great program that gets everything out of athletes.

Q: What does your camp schedule look like this summer?

PEDERSON: It will be busy. I’m planning on going to Iowa, Iowa State, South Dakota, SDSU, UNI, and will mix some others in.

Q: What are your workout plans going forward?

PEDERSON: I am doing track and will continue to lift and work on other things during that.