Iowa football: Big Ten Network gets it wrong with AJ Epenesa

Stanley Jackson of the Big Ten Network got it wrong yesterday when discussing Iowa football player AJ Epenesa. Here’s how.

Please, can someone explain to me how a Preseason All-American (by nearly ever media source including the Associated Press), Preseason All-Big Ten, and a strong contender to be a top-10 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is not considered one of the two best defensive ends in his own conference? If you can, I would be amazed, because when Stanley Jackson of the Big Ten Network said Iowa football player AJ Epenesa was the third-best defensive end in the Big Ten, I was truly appalled.

Yes, you heard that right, someone actually said Epenesa was the third-best defensive end in the Big Ten, not the country, the Big Ten. Granted, he was an Ohio State alumni so take that for what it’s worth.

But what actually upsets me is the reason why. He said it’s because Epenesa wasn’t on the field the whole time.

Alright, can we just stop this narrative, please?

Yes, Epenesa was not a starter last season and no he didn’t play every snap for the Iowa football team, but he was incredibly productive in a limited number of snaps, and Kirk Ferentz is an old school guy who typically starts upperclassmen. To use that against Epenesa is an injustice.

That being said, it does speak to the talent of the defensive ends in the Big Ten. As this metric showed, there is quite a bit of talent of edge rushers in the Big Ten. But even with all that talent, Epenesa led the Big Ten in sacks last year. Just imagine what he will do in a starter’s role in year three with the Iowa football program. The sky is truly the limit for him.

I cannot wait for the reckoning that is AJ Epenesa on every single Big Ten offensive tackle as he battles Ohio State’s Chase Young for the title of top defensive end in the country.