The former five-star recruit and Hawkeye legacy is in line for a big role on the defensive line this season.
Welcome back to our countdown to the 2026 Iowa football season!
From now until the Hawkeyes take the field on Sept. 5 against Northern Illinois, HawkeyeRoundtable.com will be releasing a daily article throughout the 100-day waiting period until Iowa storms out of the tunnel.
Most of the articles will feature a Hawkeye player based on their jersey number, and that is exactly what we have today.
There's 97 days until kickoff, which means it's time to take a look at No. 97 - defensive lineman Iose Epenesa.
Bio
Hometown: Glen Carbon, Illinois
High School: Edwardsville High School
Year: Redshirt freshmen
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 260 pounds
Notable players to wear the number: The most notable name to don No. 97 for the Hawkeyes in recent years is former defensive lineman Zach Vanvalkenburg. Vanvalkenburg was a crucial piece of Iowa's star-studded defense in 2021 that was No. 13 in total defense.
Epenesa's Iowa career so far
Epenesa took his redshirt year in 2025 after playing four games and earning his first collegiate tackle in Iowa's dominant 41-3 victory over Minnesota, but he's got plenty of hype around him already.
The reason? His last name. Few families have a stronger Hawkeye football legacy than the Epenesa family. Iose's father, Eppy, played for Iowa in the late '90s, and brothers A.J. and Eric also played for the Hawkeyes. A.J. had the most successful career of the three, earning All-American honors in 2019 before embarking on a strong six-year stint in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills.
Like A.J., Iose was a heralded high school recruit. 247Sports ranked Epenesa as a five-star recruit and the No. 27 player in the Class of 2025. He held offers from Miami (FL), Penn State, USC, Texas, Oregon, and others before deciding to follow in his family's footsteps and play for the Hawkeyes.
Though Epenesa hasn't seen much playing time in his college career, recruiting analysts rave about his NFL potential. Here's what 247 national analyst Hudson Standish had to say about Epenesa:
"High-effort scheme versatile defensive lineman with excellent football pedigree and functional athleticism. ....One of the best throws athletes in the 2025 cycle with 54-7 shot put and a 183-0 discus personal bests from his junior year. Lower- and upper-body power from throws directly translates to tape, owns staggering punch and hand strength to go along with fantastic anchor strength when working through double teams. Basketball experience shows in ease of movement and body control. Should be viewed as a technically sound front-line defender who can move around the defensive line to hunt matchups and take over games. Has the technical savvy, relentless motor, and athleticism to develop into an early-round NFL Draft candidate."
With the talented trio of Aaron Graves, Max Llewellyn, and Ethan Hurkett all graduating last year, there's tons of room for Epenesa to find a role on the defensive line in 2026. Considering his family pedigree and own personal accolades, all signs point to that happening this year.
Watch out for Epenesa to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks this year.
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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]
