Closer Look: Epi Sitanilei Owns Impressive Skillset At Defensive End

The Buckeyes almost didn’t end up signing defensive end Epi Sitanilei, but when defensive ends Zahir Mathis and London Merritt decommitted from Ohio State in late November of last year, Sitanilei was the first call for OSU defensive line coach Larry Johnson. Sitanilei took an official visit to Ohio State for the Michigan game and then a few days later flipped his commitment from UCLA to the Buckeyes and signed his letter of intent.

Sitanilei was a four-star prospect at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California. He was ranked the No. 27 edge rusher in the nation and the No. 253 player overall in the 247Sports Composite. He also held offers from Michigan, USC, Washington, Colorado, Arizona State, and others.

What To Like

Larry Johnson has called Epi Sitanilei a “natural” and “advanced” pass rusher, which shows up in the pass-rushing clips below. He is incredibly quick, and has been known to leave pass blockers reaching one way and looking the other. As a senior last year, Sitanilei finished with 59 tackles and six tackles for loss, and as the clips show, quarterbacks cannot afford to hold the ball long when he is on the field.

There is still plenty of room for Sitanilei to grow — both figuratively and literally, but he already shows impressive power on his bull rushes, and the kind of speed and quickness that defensive line coaches covet. It would have been interesting to see him this spring, but fall camp is just two months away for the Buckeyes.

Some pass-rushing clips from incoming Ohio State freshman defensive end Epi Sitanilei. pic.twitter.com/CSM8b5BqcD
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) May 30, 2025

The Potential

By the time Epi Sitanilei enrolls at Ohio State next month, he’ll likely check in somewhere around 6-foot-5 and 230+ pounds. He was listed at 225 pounds as a senior. He appears noticeably bigger as a senior than he did as a junior. Most of the clips below are from Sitanilei’s junior season (wearing No. 40). There aren’t many highlights out there of his senior season, but you’ll notice them by his number change to 4.

In the clips below, Sitanilei shows some of his athletic abilities, whether it’s lining up at linebacker or knocking down a pass as a defensive end. He has also lined up in 3-down fronts, which has given him experience rushing against interior linemen as well. As he grows, he could be used more in that role on passing downs.

With the frame and athleticism, the potential is pretty high here. Sitanilei is still very early in his development, but the signs are there according to Larry Johnson.

“Great pass rush skills. Just a very natural pass rusher,” Johnson told Buckeye Huddle during OSU’s playoff run. “He can bend, use his hands. Things that you don’t see really from a high school kid that can come in that early and be that advanced. And so he’s got some skill set that will allow him to walk in and really challenge. Now, will he get bigger and get stronger, yeah. But he’s certainly got some pass rush skills that are unique.”

Epi Sitanilei has the athleticism to do some different things for a defense. pic.twitter.com/i3lQtV91oZ
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) May 30, 2025

The Expectations

With Epi Sitanilei enrolling “late” and the Buckeyes bringing in a pair of defensive ends from the transfer portal, the safe assumption this year is for a redshirt season. When camp starts on July 31, he will be the least-experienced of the nine scholarship defensive ends on the roster. There are still plenty of questions about the Buckeyes’ situation at defensive end, but probably not that many.

Sitanilei will get his four games — and perhaps a more-extended look in week two against Grambling. If he does well in that game, maybe he can turn it into the kind of momentum that builds throughout the season, forcing a decision on whether or not to burn the redshirt down the stretch.

Still, no player is going to be kept on the sideline if he can disrupt the offense. “Disruption” can show up in a variety of forms, including stopping the run.

Epi Sitanilei is not just a pass rusher though. pic.twitter.com/2HTu5MlxnT
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) May 30, 2025

The Bottom Line

There is one career start at defensive end among Ohio State’s nine scholarship defensive ends, so while a redshirt season is the safest assumption for Epi Sitanilei, it’s not like there is a brick wall impeding his potential rise up the depth chart. Five of those nine players are fourth-year players, so while Sitanilei may be able to grow up and wait his turn this season, the Buckeyes may need him to step up in a major way next year.