Andrew Donnal, Whitehouse Anthony Wayne (Ohio), is performing for the East team in the USAAAB in San Antonio this week. The four-star offensive lineman has been impressed by the talent surrounding him this week.
"It has been awesome being out here, surrounded by some of the best players in the country," Donnal said. "Everybody out here has been getting along so well and it's been great. I think I've done pretty well this week and everybody is playing so hard. I've gained a lot of confidence in my ability playing against these guys."
Donnal committed to Iowa last July, selecting the Hawkeyes over schools like Boston College and Michigan State. He will report to Iowa in June.
"I just built a great relationship with the coaches and it felt like home to me," Donnal said. "Once I visited there it just kind of stuck with me and I can't wait to get out there. I'll be reporting in June. I need to keep concentrating on lifting and getting bigger. I'm playing basketball right now, so I won't be concentrating on weight lifting until after the season is over."
Donnal been told by the Iowa staff to come in ready to play next season, and there has been no talk of redshirting.
"They haven't mentioning redshirting yet, and we'll just have to see how things go whenever I get there," he admitted. "They have a lot of guys coming back but there might be some guys going to the NFL draft, and I just don't know how things will be on the depth chart. If they think I should sit out next year that's fine with me."
Donnal admitted playing in the prestigious United States Army All-American Bowl is quite an honor, and he has been overwhelmed by the experience.
"This means a lot to me being a part of this game," he stated. "The United States Army sponsoring this game is such a great event and thrilled to play in the game. I'm looking forward to being out there on Saturday in the Alamo Dome."