2020 NFL Draft: AJ Epenesa boosts stock further vs. USC

AJ Epenesa would be one of the top defensive players in the 2020 NFL Draft if he declares. He boosted his stock against USC.

The San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl (try saying that three times fast) provided fans of the NFL Draft an intriguing matchup of potential 2020 NFL Draft prospects — Iowa defensive end AJ Epenesa and USC offensive tackle Austin Jackson.

Both Epenesa and Jackson have been considered first-round picks by pundits should they decide to leave school early, but just about everyone has Epenesa rated among their top 10-15 players in this class and just behind Chase Young as the second-best edge defender in the draft.

Epenesa has yet to make any sort of declaration about his future with the Hawkeyes, but after the white-hot month of November he had combined with his excellent game against USC, it might be tough for Epenesa to pass up the chance to turn pro.

Since the start of November, Epenesa has loaded up the stat sheet and impacted games like everyone knew he was capable of at the start of the season when he was getting pressures, hurries, and hits, but not sacks.

Since November:

• 8.0 sacks
• 10.5 tackles for loss
• 4 forced fumbles
• 28 total tackles

At the start of this game and into the second quarter, watching Epenesa and Jackson was like watching a heavyweight bout. These two were going toe-to-toe, shot for shot, but in the end, Epenesa’s play strength, ability to convert speed to power, and length all became a major problem for Jackson.

Even though Jackson has quick feet, a strong core, and long arms, it was all he could do to keep Epenesa off of the quarterback and, in fact, he failed to keep his starting QB from getting hurt in this one. Epenesa used his length to create a fumble during the USC quarterback’s windup, and the awkward pull from Epenesa’s arms combined with the force the QB was trying to put on the ball ended up knocking him out of the game.

Epenesa ended up with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble against USC, building off of a stellar game he had the day after Thanksgiving against Nebraska.

Epenesa’s last month of play has solidified his stock as a top 10 talent in the 2020 NFL Draft should he declare, but Joel Klatt revealed on the FOX Sports broadcast that people inside Iowa think there’s a very real chance that Epenesa stays in school for another season.

Iowa should have a fun squad again next year, and if Epenesa should return to it, he would be the unquestioned leader of the team and certainly one of the top senior prospects in the entire country.

The NFL will always be there for Epenesa, whose skills are advanced for his age and whose game is so multi-faceted, he looks like a fit in any type of defense.