Epenesa Enters NFL Draft

Iowa defensive end is considered one of the top prospects.

There was a time last spring when the past, present and future for A.J. Epenesa collided.

It was during a media availability during spring practice when Epenesa was standing in the lobby of Iowa's football building. On the video board high above his right shoulder were highlights of the 2018 season.

As 2019 Epenesa spoke, 2018 Epenesa was creating all kinds of havoc in Nebraska's backfield in the footage from the final regular-season game from the previous year.

Epenesa didn't glance up. His focus was on that moment, not in the past.

And certainly not in the future, either. He answered questions about whether he would play just one more season and then enter the NFL draft.

The answer then was the answer it would be all season — that's in the future. The Epenesa of 2019 was only focused on 2019, getting better with the experience of the previous two seasons, getting stronger for the increased workload that was ahead.

The future could wait, he said. He wasn't ready for that.

He is now.

The junior defensive end announced on Tuesday he would skip his final season and enter the NFL draft.

Epenesa made the announcement on social media.

It's not a reach, by any means. Epenesa is ranked 31st among NFL draft prospects on ESPN.com. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., has him 15th on his Big Board.

Epenesa had 49 tackles this season, including 32 solos. He had a team-high 11 1/2 sacks and 14 1/2 tackles for loss, a year after he led the Big Ten with 10 1/2 sacks.

The numbers were small early in the season as he faced a concoction of defenses. Double-teams were all too common, but he still was able to get pressure — he had eight quarterback hurries in the first six games.

His best came at the end of the season.

Eight of Epenesa's sacks this season came in the final four games, all Iowa wins, a dominating stretch for the 6-foot-6, 280-pounder from Glen Carbon, Ill. He was the defensive MVP in the Holiday Bowl, a 49-24 win over USC.

Epenesa was a first-team All-Big Ten selection this season. He was an All-American selection by the Walter Camp Foundation, the American Football Coaches Association and the Associated Press.

Epenesa was eased into his job the first two seasons because of the Hawkeyes' depth on the defensive line. He played in every game in his three seasons, but he had just 15 tackles as a freshman. He had 37 tackles last season, including 16 1/2 for loss.

Iowa safety Geno Stone announced last week he would skip his final season and enter the draft.

Running back Toren Young announced later on Tuesday that he would not return for his final season.