The Epenesa legacy continues in Iowa City.
Iose Epenesa, the highly coveted defensive lineman and top target in Iowa’s 2025 recruiting class, has officially committed to the Hawkeyes, providing a massive boost to their future roster. This commitment is particularly significant given his status as a legacy recruit—his father, Epenesa Epenesa, and brothers, AJ and Eric, all have deep ties to the program.
While many Iowa fans believed that his family connections would make the recruitment straightforward, Iose took his time exploring other opportunities, showing an openness to various suitors that differed from his older brothers’ paths. Despite this, the Hawkeyes managed to secure his commitment, marking one of the most significant recruiting victories in the program’s history.
With just over two weeks until the Hawkeye football season kicks off at Kinnick Stadium, this news adds to the anticipation and excitement among the fanbase, setting the stage for a promising future for Iowa football.
Even with the recruiting dead period in effect, which restricts college coaches from initiating contact with recruits, Iose Epenesa decided he had experienced enough of the recruiting process. He made the decisive call to Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz, committing to the Hawkeyes while the program was hosting a team gathering at Ferentz’s home.
This move underscores Iose’s strong connection to the program and his readiness to continue the family legacy at Iowa, a decision that has thrilled both the coaching staff and the Hawkeye fanbase. Despite the restrictions of the dead period, the timing of his commitment adds an extra layer of excitement and optimism as the team prepares for the upcoming season.
Iose Epenesa’s commitment to Iowa is indeed monumental for the program. As a 5-star prospect and the third-highest-rated recruit in Iowa’s history, he brings a combination of size, power, and explosiveness that makes him a potential early contributor. His physical traits, coupled with his legacy connection to the Hawkeyes, create high expectations for his impact on the field. His presence could significantly influence Iowa’s recruiting strategy, not just for the current class but also for future ones.
Perhaps even more important than the immediate impact on the field or the roster flexibility is the message landing Epenesa sends. It’s a message to the staff, to other high level recruits and to the rest of the country.
Epenesa, as a 5-star recruit ranked inside the top-35 nationally, was pursued by virtually every program in the country. In the modern recruiting world, that means he he was being offered NIL money by virtually every program in the country.
Spurning those offers of money, glitz and glamor to continue the Epenesa legacy at Iowa tells the staff they can still win in this new world. It tells other high end recruits that there is something worth looking at in Iowa City. And it tells other coaches not every kid can simply be bought.