I see took the official to Penn State. I can just imagine Franklin in a one on one meeting.Good story from the Gazette. Iose has completed official visits at Penn State, Missouri and Iowa; Utah is this upcoming weekend; Miami is the following weekend. “And then we can evaluate all 5 of these visits and try to figure it out,” Eppy said. “If he needs to go back to anything else, we will. … And then if our son feels good about the whole thing, then we’re going to pick a school.”
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Iowa football hosted ‘impressive’ official visit for 5-star recruit Iose Epenesa. What’s next in his recruitment?
Hawkeye family roots evident during highly-touted recruit’s official visit to Iowa City
John Steppe
Jun. 12, 2024 12:31 pm
Iose Epenesa (center) poses for a photo with brothers A.J. (left) and Eric (right) during his official visit at Iowa. (Photo courtesy of Eppy Epenesa)
IOWA CITY — Iose Epenesa has been no stranger to Iowa football.
His father was a Hawkeye in the late 1990s. His oldest brother A.J. was a Hawkeye in the late 2010s. His other brother Eric is currently a Hawkeye.
“When we come to Iowa for me, he’s there,” Iose Epenesa’s father Eppy told The Gazette. “When we come to Iowa for A.J., he’s there. When we come to Iowa for Eric, he’s always there.”
Now, though, Iose is no longer the “tagalong guy.” The spotlight is fully on Iose — prized Hawkeye recruiting target — rather than his Hawkeye father or Hawkeye older brothers.
Iose (pronounced “yo-say”) Epenesa has a five-star rating from 247Sports, which considers him to be the 15th-best overall prospect in the country, third-best defensive lineman in the country and the top prospect in the state of Illinois. College football juggernauts from coast to coast have offered Epenesa a scholarship — literally from Washington to Miami (Fla.).
Iowa had its chance last weekend to woo the highly-touted recruit during Epenesa’s official visit to Iowa City — a visit that Eppy described as “impressive.”
“Coming this weekend was kind of confirming some of the questions he had in his head about Iowa and about what they do here,” Eppy said. “He sees the support and then he sees the love from his family and then even the coaching staff.”
Defensive line coach Kelvin Bell, defensive coordinator Phil Parker, head coach Kirk Ferentz and strength and conditioning coach Raimond Braithwaite are among the coaches who spent time last weekend with Epenesa, who was the only prospect visiting Iowa last weekend. Special teams coordinator LeVar Woods — one of Eppy’s teammates at Iowa — also had an “amazing conversation” with Iose.
“I’m proud to be a Hawkeye, the way Kirk Ferentz and his staff handled my son,” Eppy said.
Iowa had a surprise in store for Epenesa on his visit. As he was at lunch with the coaching staff at The Airliner — the Iowa City staple and one of Eppy’s “favorite places to go back in the day” — his oldest brother A.J. walked in. Iose was “super surprised,” Eppy said.
“My wife knew about it, but we (Iose and I) didn’t know anything about it,” Eppy said. “You see the passion of my older sons — both of them. They both show up at our lunch with the coaches to start our official visits. I thought it was pretty neat.”
A.J. made a point to keep the spotlight on Iose, though.
“I heard A.J. telling him, ‘I’m not here to take away any attention from you. I’m here to love on you and support you, whatever you need,’” Eppy said.
Who Iowa is battling in recruiting Iose Epenesa and what’s next in his recruitment
The Hawkeyes have formidable competition for the 6-foot-4 defensive end from Edwardsville, Ill. Epenesa’s top 10 schools are Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Penn State, Texas and Utah.
Of those 10 schools, five have official visits scheduled — Penn State, Missouri, Iowa, Utah and Miami. Those have been the “most consistent” in recruiting Epenesa.
Penn State’s opportunity to woo Epenesa was last month. Missouri’s chance was earlier this month.
“Those two programs did an amazing job, too, with my son,” Eppy said.
Now that official visits at Penn State, Missouri and most recently Iowa are complete, Epenesa has trips lined up to Utah and Miami in the next two weekends.
“And then we can evaluate all five of these visits and try to figure it out,” Eppy said. “If he needs to go back to anything else, we will. … And then if our son feels good about the whole thing, then we’re going to pick a school.”
Eppy has told his youngest son there is “no such thing as a wrong pick.”
“Every one of these schools are amazing schools,” Eppy said. “Every one of these head coaches that we visit, they’re very supportive. ‘Either come here or not coming here, we will be happy for you and your family.’”
How Iowa’s Epenesa legacy could impact the recruitment
Iose Epenesa poses for a photo during his official visit to Iowa. (Photo courtesy of Eppy Epenesa)
It perhaps helps that Epenesa and his family have seen Iowa’s development of defensive linemen up close. His brother A.J., a highly-touted recruit in the 2017 class, earned first-team all-Big Ten honors after his second season on campus and was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after his third season at Iowa.
“They might not be starting right away, but when you come out of Kirk’s program — it’s all about the work — they know these kids will handle any other level,” Eppy said.
Then there is the legacy element of Epenesa’s recruitment. Rather than setting up just one locker for Epenesa during his official visit with a No. 88 jersey, Iowa had four. The other three: Eppy’s No. 72, A.J.’s No. 94 and Eric’s No. 39.
At the same time, Eppy said Iose “doesn’t want to follow anybody’s footsteps.”
“He’s against everything about his brothers,” Eppy said. “He wants to beat every number they created at the high school. Any records they have in any sports, he always wants to beat them.”
After all, his older siblings “never let him win” in any competition, whether it be “card games, basketball, anything, whiffle ball.”
Eppy has emphasized that Iose’s recruitment “is all about trust” — a likely advantage for Iowa after Bell’s three years of coaching and developing A.J. into an NFL-caliber defensive end.
“Especially A.J., he loves Coach Bell,” Eppy said. “Has lots of respect for Coach Bell for what he’s done for him and his career at Iowa.”
As for Iose Epenesa’s time in Iowa City last weekend, the trip to a place with so much meaning for his family fittingly ended with a family meeting at his brother Eric’s house.
“(Iose) was thanking his brothers for supporting him right at the end in a sincere way,” Eppy said. “Which tells me it was a good day.”
Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com
Iowa hosted ‘impressive’ official visit for 5-star recruit Iose Epenesa
Iose Epenesa’s Hawkeye family roots were evident during his recent official visit to Iowa. His father discusses his recruitment and what’s next for the five-star defensive end.www.thegazette.com
Iowa Offers Class of 2025 Iose Epenesa (pronounced Yo-say)
- Thread starter Franisdaman
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Having that entire family tied to the Hawks … that’s gonna be tough to top. I don’t think💰will be a driving factor. This family is as real as it gets … I’m sitting at 95 percent … confidence … we have another Hawk.
Yea, I doubt his two older brothers showed up at any of the other school. Nor would Dad have received the attention Eppy got on the visit....
Keytar, I’m dead 😂You know Kirk probably has a keytar in the back of some closet, but at least has the decency to never pull it out.
Miami is his last visit (weekend of Friday June 21). Hopefully its really rainy, windy, hot and humid
Not sure what it will be then but the animals are lining up in twos down here now.Miami is his last visit (weekend of Friday June 21). Hopefully its really rainy, windy, hot and humid
I think we'd rather it be unseasonably cool so the young ladies need bulky sweaters and heavy coats.Miami is his last visit (weekend of Friday June 21). Hopefully its really rainy, windy, hot and humid
Oh no. Go to that first home Saturday game when it's 95 degrees out.
Eppy and Iose have their heads in the clouds - sort of like having an ego trip going to different major schools. If Iose can't decide if he likes Iowa the best - WE DON'T NEED HIM.
Give me a break. The Epenesa's are a very humble, hard working family. Take a hike you jealous clone fan.
Any Person who does not investigate all realistic options for major life decisions to find the most rewarding and best fit for themselves is a mental midget, He should look at all the places He is interested in and then choose Iowa .
Eppy treats all the offers and visits with the same enthusiasm and gratitude. He supports his kids and respects all the programs. The guy has integrity.
remember... some people aren't happy unless they're p*ssed off about something
Dude, did you just dis the relaxed-dog-on-a-bench dog?
Gotta be a cat lover!
agree with above comments
anyone that says anything bad about the Eppy family is just plain and simply wrong
anyone that says anything bad about the Eppy family is just plain and simply wrong
Even if Iose chooses another School the Epenesa Family is still a royal Family in Iowa football History , That Family has given it's heart and soul to Iowa football , People should not lose sight of that .
Note that Eppy's nephews were Iose's hosts all weekend long in Utah. Utah offered Iose REALLY EARLY (when he was in the 7th grade).
I'm fairly certain it is reflecting the thin skinned and childish nature of this board with respect to any recruit that dares to consider or "gasp" attend another school.
So yes. Sarcasm.
A thought from Kirk Ferentz: “You don't want a player in the program that doesn't want to be here,” Ferentz said in his first news conference since Proctor's decision. “That's always kind of been our feeling, and in my mind at least it's best for both parties to go separate ways at that point.”Mar 26, 2024
Really bad analogy. Eppy and family have added a great deal to the Hawkeye program and been as steadfast supporters of Iowa football as ANY alum ever. That doesn't mean that lose may not want to forge his own path as much as we all want him in the Black and Gold. Proctor is a young man who burnt Iowa twice, and has shown himself and his family to be people of low character. He has no standing as a Hawkeye, and never will. Comparing them has no merit whatsoever.....
Indeed. If Iose decides he wants to make his own legacy somewhere, that’s not a slight to Iowa. He may just want his own path. It happens. Doing what Proctor did.. twice.. is quite different.
So, you typed something completely stupid and instead of bowing out gracefully, you chose to double down on stupid and compare the Proctor debacle to a family going through the process of choosing a school that’s the best fit for their son.
Take the L and STFU.
So every recruit who looks at more than one school is having their heads in the cloud on some sort of ego trip?
Just a reminder: Iose visits Miami this weekend. Iose has completed official visits at Penn State, Missouri, Iowa and Utah.
Could a decision come by the end of the month?
“And then we can evaluate all 5 of these visits and try to figure it out,” Eppy Epenesa said. “If he needs to go back to anything else, we will. … And then if our son feels good about the whole thing, then we’re going to pick a school.”
Could a decision come by the end of the month?
“And then we can evaluate all 5 of these visits and try to figure it out,” Eppy Epenesa said. “If he needs to go back to anything else, we will. … And then if our son feels good about the whole thing, then we’re going to pick a school.”
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