Epenesa headed to the NFL Draft
At the end of the day, the pull of the NFL was too much for A.J. Epenesa to resist.
The junior defensive end has decided to declare for the NFL Draft and will forgo his senior year with the Hawkeyes.
The 6-foot-6 and 280 pound defensive end was named a second team All American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and he was first team All Big Ten by the coaches and media as a sophomore and junior.
Expectations were high for Epenesa when he arrived on campus and he certainly delivered. In the last two years he reached double figures in sacks and finished his Iowa career with 26.5 sacks, 36.5 tackles for loss, and 101 total tackles. He also forced 9 fumbles and one fumble recovery.
IMPACT FOR IOWA
This is a significant loss for the Iowa defensive line that frankly doesn’t return a whole lot of experience as far as snaps. Having said that, the Iowa coaches certainly saw this is a possibility, so they won’t be caught off guard with this decision.
The good news from the defensive end position is that Chauncey Golston will return for his senior year. He has played quite a bit in his career and now has 13 starts under his belt. He will certainly be the leader of the defensive line heading into the 2020 season.
This will open the door for younger players like John Waggoner and Zach VanValkenburg, who served as reserves for Epenesa and Golston this past season. Joe Evans will probably get a look, especially in passing situations, but he will have to continue to add weight to play in running downs. Other younger players who will get a more extensive look this spring include Chris Reames and Taajhir McCall, who will be coming off redshirt seasons.
