A.J. Epenesa has been one of the most talked about players in the B1G. The big-bodied, overly talented and athletic defensive end has received an incredible amount of praise during the offseason.

Though he’s considered to be a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft come next spring, there are still some questions about him. That is, he’s only played in a reserve role in his first two seasons with the Hawkeyes. Are there any concerns about what he can do as a starter?

Or, maybe the better question is, what kind of ceiling does the former five-star end have in that starting role?

Head coach Kirk Ferentz isn’t much into speculation. Instead, he’d rather just wait and see how the season plays out before judging Epenesa’s ability.

“He’s a good one to talk about, but it’s just kinda football in general. To me, sometimes it’s good just to let things happen,” Ferentz said. “Anyone that’s seen him play — you know, he’s got some rare abilities and talents. He does really good things.

“The exciting thing for us is he’s got the potential to improve, and that’s what we’re hoping to see.”

As a reserve last season — one which still saw plenty of snaps, by the way — Epenesa registered a B1G-best 9.5 sacks to accompany 16.5 tackles for loss.

Ferentz admitted that Epenesa isn’t going to start seeing 75 or 80 snaps per game, Iowa is more interested in rotating players consistently. However, the head coach does expect to see an even more polished and better developed edge rusher than he’s seen in previous years.

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Still, he’s not putting a ceiling on Epenesa’s potential.

“Hopefully he’ll be better this year than last year,” Ferentz said. “He’s gonna play more, I’ll go out on a limb and say that for sure. So, to me, let’s just let this story unfold.”

Iowa opens the season on Saturday against Miami (OH).