In the bustling town of Happy Valley, Pennsylvania State University hosted a plethora of events this past weekend. On one hand, the university was the site of the Elite 11 regionals, where top quarterbacks from all corners of the country came together to compete for a chance to advance to the next level. On the other hand, Penn State welcomed its first official visit from a highly sought after recruit for the 2025 class.
Initially, Penn State’s coaching staff had planned to begin official visits at the end of May. However, they made an exception for one of their top targets, Iose Epenesa, who was unable to attend any of the original dates. Epenesa is a consensus four-star edge rusher and ranked 34th overall and third in his position according to On3’s Industry Rankings. While Penn State is considered a longshot in his recruitment, they saw this visit as an opportunity to make a strong impression.
After his visit to Happy Valley, Epenesa had nothing but positive things to say about his experience. He described it as “great” and “a pleasant surprise.” Despite not being very familiar with the program prior to the visit, he was impressed by the family atmosphere and the state of the program, noting that former players often return to visit and coach. He also expressed confidence in his fit with the team based on how Penn State utilizes their defensive ends.
Although On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine currently favors Iowa as the landing spot for Epenesa, his family also had a positive experience during their visit to Penn State. They enjoyed the facilities, coaching staff, strength coach and academics. While it remains an uphill battle for Penn State in his recruitment
