Epenesa ready for Polynesian Bowl

This week, five-star defensive end A.J. Epenesa is enjoying the weather in Hawaii and getting ready to play in the Polynesian Bowl on Saturday night. The all-star game, which kicks off at 10 PM Central on ESPN3, will be the last high school football event for the 6-foot-5, 270-pound Epenesa before National Signing Day. That is when he will take the next step towards fulfilling his dream to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

“It’s just the place I’ve always wanted to go,” Epenesa told Rivals.com’s Chris Swanson. “Ever since I was little, it’s been my dream school. My dad went there, so it’s just been a dream of mine. I’m going up there and I’m going to live my dream. That’s how I want it to be.”

Epenesa, whose father Eppy played defensive line at Iowa in the 90’s, will be making his official visit to Iowa City on January 27. That will give the Edwardsville, IL native a chance to catch up with the Hawkeye coaches and players as well as members of his recruiting class.

“I’m just looking forward to getting closer to the guys in my class and closer to the guys on the team, and just building a bond so that we can be successful next year,” Epenesa said.

Despite a couple decommits from Iowa’s recruiting class in the fall, Epenesa is still excited about the players the Hawkeyes have coming in this year and feels like it is a good core group for the future.

“We have a pretty good class coming in,” said Epenesa. “If we just stick together and stay with the process, we can do some big things.”

A U.S. Army All-American, Epenesa racked up 67 tackles and 14 TFL this past season.

See highlights from Epenesa's senior year at Edwardsville in the video below.