Defensive end Iose Epenesa, the top-ranked recruit in Illinois for the Class of 2025, has committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes, continuing his family’s tradition. A four-star prospect, Epenesa is ranked No. 42 nationally, No. 5 among defensive linemen, and the top player in Illinois according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. In ESPN’s 300, he’s listed as the No. 1 defensive end and No. 21 player overall. The Edwardsville (Ill.) High School senior chose Iowa after considering Penn State, Missouri, Utah, and Miami.
“We’ve been going through this process for almost four years, and we were all getting tired of it,” Epenesa told ESPN. “So, we sat down as a family and got serious about it—it was time to figure it out.”
Iose follows in the footsteps of his brother, A.J. Epenesa, a former Iowa standout now in his fifth NFL season with the Buffalo Bills. Their father, Eppy Epenesa, played as a defensive tackle for Iowa in the 1990s, and their brother, Eric, is currently a walk-on linebacker for the Hawkeyes.
“I had to ask a lot of questions about every school,” Epenesa told ESPN. “It came down to depth charts and what fit me and my family best. The most important thing was having my family be able to come watch my games. My brother’s there now, and it’ll be awesome to play with him.”
At 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, Epenesa has accumulated 122 tackles and 15 sacks over three high school seasons.
