Defensive end, Iowa, 2017–19
A.J. Epenesa
- Number
- No. 94
- Height
- 6′6″
- Weight
- 280 lb
- Class (2019)
- Junior
- Hometown
- Glen Carbon, IL
- Born
- Sep 15, 1998, in Lenexa, Kansas
Wikipedia readers: about 7,968 a month over the past year
A.J. Epenesa played defensive end at Iowa (2017–19). The Buffalo Bills took Epenesa in round 2, No. 54 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
At a glance
Career highs
14tackles, career highat Nebraska, 20192.5sacks, career hightwice; last vs. USC, 2019Honors
All-America: The Athletic 2019
Defense
Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.
On the roster
As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.
Game by game
2019 Iowa 13 games, 49 tackles, 11.5 sacks
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 31 | vs. Miami (OH) | W 38–14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sep 7 | vs. Rutgers | W 30–0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 14 | at Iowa State | W 18–17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 28 | vs. Middle Tennessee | W 48–3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Oct 5 | at Michigan | L 3–10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 12 | vs. Penn State | L 12–17 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 19 | vs. Purdue | W 26–20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Oct 26 | at Northwestern | W 20–0 | 5 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 |
| Nov 9 | at Wisconsin | L 22–24 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 16 | vs. Minnesota | W 23–19 | 4 | 3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 0 |
| Nov 23 | vs. Illinois | W 19–10 | 5 | 4 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 29 | at Nebraska | W 27–24 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Dec 27 ✦ | vs. USC | W 49–24 | 4 | 3 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 0 |
2018 Iowa 13 games, 37 tackles, 10.5 sacks
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1 | vs. Northern Illinois | W 33–7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 8 | vs.Iowa State | W 13–3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Sep 15 | vs. Northern Iowa | W 38–14 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 22 | vs.Wisconsin | L 17–28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 6 | atMinnesota | W 48–31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 13 | at Indiana | W 42–16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 20 | vs. Maryland | W 23–0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 27 | atPenn State | L 24–30 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 3 | atPurdue | L 36–38 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 10 | vs.Northwestern | L 10–14 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 17 | atIllinois | W 63–0 | 8 | 5 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 1 |
| Nov 23 | vs.Nebraska | W 31–28 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Jan 1 ✦ | vs. Mississippi State | W 27–22 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
2017 Iowa 11 games, 15 tackles, 4.5 sacks
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2 | vs. Wyoming | W 24–3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 9 | atIowa State | W 44–41 | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 |
| Sep 23 | vs.Penn State | L 19–21 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 30 | at Michigan State | L 10–17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 7 | vs.Illinois | W 45–16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 21 | atNorthwestern | L 10–17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 28 | vs.Minnesota | W 17–10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 4 | vs. Ohio State | W 55–24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nov 11 | atWisconsin | L 14–38 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 18 | vs.Purdue | L 15–24 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 24 | atNebraska | W 56–14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.
Before the draft
| Drill | Combine 2020 |
|---|---|
| Height | 6′5⅛″ |
| Weight | 275 lb |
| Arm length | 34½″ |
| Hand size | 10⅛″ |
| Wingspan | 81¼″W |
| 40-yard dash | 5.04 s |
| 10-yard split | 1.78 sW |
| Vertical jump | 32½″ |
| Broad jump | 9′9″ |
| Bench press | 17 reps |
| 3-cone drill | 7.34 s |
| 20-yard shuttle | 4.46 s |
Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
In the NFL
7 seasons, 82 games with a stat; latest team: Philadelphia Eagles.
| Season | Team | G | Tkl | Sacks | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Buffalo Bills | 10 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | Buffalo Bills | 14 | 14 | 1.5 | 0 |
| 2022 | Buffalo Bills | 10 | 15 | 6.5 | 0 |
| 2023 | Buffalo Bills | 14 | 20 | 6.5 | 2 |
| 2024 | Buffalo Bills | 16 | 36 | 6 | 0 |
| 2025 | Buffalo Bills | 15 | 32 | 2.5 | 2 |
| 2026 (so far) | Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| NFL career | 82 | 133 | 24 | 4 | |
Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.
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