Another Epenesa interested in Iowa

Iowa fans certainly love the Epenesa family.

It started with Eppy Epenesa, who played for the Hawkeyes under Hayden Fry and now his son, A.J. is currently a star defensive end on the Iowa team.

The next Epenesa is hoping for an opportunity to play at the college level, perhaps at Iowa.

Eric Epenesa, a 6-foot-1 and 170 pound prospect in the Class of 2020 was at the Rivals Camp Series stop in St. Louis this past weekend. He worked with the linebackers at the camp on Sunday and gained plenty of experience going head to head with some of the top prospects in the Midwest.

“I’m just trying to show everyone that I can play and compete at this level and gain experience going to camps this summer,” he said.

This spring he and his family made several trips to college programs in the Midwest. That included stops at Central Missouri, Indiana, Indiana State, Iowa, and Drake.

“I really enjoyed all the visits this spring. Indiana was really nice and Iowa is always a good visit because we know so many people there.”

Eric’s recruiting experience is very different from the one he saw his brother experience a few years ago, but it’s been a fun process for him so far.

"It’s been a very different process for me. With A.J., the schools basically came to him. I have to work at it a lot more by reaching out to people and to coaches to see if they are interested."

Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods, who recruits the area for the Hawkeyes, has been keeping in touch with Eric.

“He’s always very positive with me and tells me to keep working hard,” Eric Epenesa said.

One thing working to his advantage in the recruiting process is position versatility. While he worked with the linebackers at the Rivals Camp, he is also a capable receiver. In addition to that, his ticket to college could be as a long snapper, a position he handles for his Edwardsville high school team.