Iose Epenesa
| No. 97 – Iowa Hawkeyes | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end |
| Class | Freshman |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 5, 2007 |
Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
Listed weight | 260 lb (118 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Edwardsville (Edwardsville, Illinois) |
| College |
|
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Iose Epenesa (YO-say) (born February 5, 2007) is an American football defensive end for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Early life
[edit]Epenesa grew up in Edwardsville, Illinois and attended Edwardsville High School, where he played football, basketball, and was on the track and field team.[1][2] He holds the school record in shot-put and is second in the discus throw, behind his brother A.J. Epenesa.[3] As a junior Epenesa, he had 46 tackles, seven sacks, ten tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles as a junior.[4] He was selected to play in the 2025 All-American Bowl.[5]
Epenesa was rated a five-star recruit by 247Sports.[6] He committed to play college football at Iowa over offers from Penn State, Miami, and Utah.[7]
College career
[edit]Epenesa enrolled at Iowa on June 1, 2025.[8]
Personal life
[edit]Epenesa's older brother, A. J., played defensive end at Iowa and currently plays in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles.[9] Another brother, Eric, is a linebacker at Iowa.[10] Epenesa's father also played defensive line at Iowa.[11]
References
[edit]- ↑ Kamp, Matthew (July 16, 2024). "Iose Epenesa weighing future before start of senior season". Edwardsville Intelligencer. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ↑ "Who is Edwardsville High School star Iose Epenesa?". Edwardsville Intelligencer. July 9, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ↑ "Iose Epenesa closer to AJ's record with new discus PR". Edwardsville Intelligencer. April 27, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ↑ "Edwardsville's Iose Epenesa: 'I grew up an Iowa boy'". Edwardsville Intelligencer. August 17, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ↑ Ramos, Gus (August 19, 2024). "2025 All-American Iose Epenesa Commits to Iowa". NBC Sports. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ↑ "Edwardsville's Iose Epenesa is a 5-star athlete, 5-star person". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. August 29, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ↑ Lederman, Eli (August 15, 2024). "Iose Epenesa, top defensive end in 2025 class, commits to Iowa". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ↑ "Iose Epenesa, Iowa Hawkeyes, Edge". 247Sports. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
- ↑ Kamp, Matt (April 24, 2024). "Four-star recruit Iose Epenesa narrows college list to 10". The Telegraph. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ↑ Dochterman, Scott (August 15, 2024). "Five-star DE Iose Epenesa commits to Iowa: What Hawkeyes legacy's pledge means for 2025". The Athletic. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
- ↑ Kamp, Matt (August 16, 2024). "Family tradition; Iose Epenesa commits to Iowa". The Telegraph. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
