Pronunciation: ep-STEEN

2021 Senior

• Academic All-Big Ten
• 25 carries for 121 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on the season
• Rushed for 82 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries against Nebraska 8/28/21
• Played in the first two games before suffering a season-ending injury
• Took the field for the final snap of the season in a 47-14 win against Northwestern

2020 Senior

• All-Big Ten honorable mention (media)
• All-Big Ten honorable mention (coaches)
• Played in seven games and started three at running back
• Finished the season No. 36 all-time with 1,169 career rushing yards
• 69 carries for 367 rush yards and four touchdowns on the season
• 10th the Big Ten in yards per carry (5.3)
• Two catches for 29 yards on the season
• Tied career-high 113 rushing yards at Nebraska 11/21/20
• Scored his first touchdown since Rutgers 10/5/18 against     Purdue 10/31/20
• Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year watch list

2019 Junior

• Injured during the season opener against Akron and missed the remainder of the season
• Eight carries for 45 yards against Akron

2018 Sophomore

• Played seven games with two starts at running back
• 411 rushing yards on 60 carries (6.8 yards per carry) and three touchdowns on season
• 10 receptions for 86 yards
• Missed the last five games and most of the Wisconsin game 10/20/18 with an injury
• Third on the team in rushing yards (411) and tied for third in rushing touchdowns (3)
• Career-high five receptions for career-high 56 receiving yards against South Florida 9/15/18
• Back-to-back 100-yard rushing games against Western Illinois and South Florida
• Career-high 113 rushing yards against South Florida 9/15/18 for third career 100-yard game
• Touchdown in the season opener against Kent State
• Academic All-Big Ten

2017 Freshman

• Played in the first five games of the season with three starts at running back
• Missed the last seven games with an injury
• 57 carries for 346 rushing yards and three touchdowns
• Led Illinois in rushing yards (346) and yards per carry (6.1)
• Fifth true freshman in program history to lead the team in rushing yards
• Tied for the team lead in touchdowns (4; 3 rushing, 1 receiving)
• Third on the team in all-purpose yards (424)
• Led Illinois in all-purpose yards per game (84.8)
• Four receptions for 59 yards and one touchdown
• First career start vs. Western Kentucky
• Team-high 111 rushing yards vs. Western Kentucky, his first career 100-yard game
• Two touchdowns and 105 all-purpose yards in his Illinois debut in the opener against Ball State
• One of six true freshmen in the nation to score multiple touchdowns during the season opener
• Two touchdowns against South Florida (one receiving, one rushing)
• Team-long 58-yard rush at Iowa

High School

• Three-star recruit by Rivals, ESPN and Scout
• Ranked No. 58 running back in the nation by Scout, No. 59 by 247Sports and No. 89 by ESPN
• Ranked No. 92 recruit in Florida by Rivals, No. 143 by 247Sports and No. 197 by ESPN
• Played at St. Thomas Aquinas for head coach Roger Harriott
• 2016 Sun Sentinel All-Broward Football Player of the Year
• 2016 Sun Sentinel 7A All-State first team
• 2016 Sun Sentinel 7A All-County
• Led St. Thomas Aquinas to 2016 Florida 7A state championship with 45-6 win over Tampa Plant in the state title game
• Scored four touchdowns in the state semifinal against Venice
• Helped St. Thomas Aquinas beat Bingham (Utah) 33-25 in State Champions Bowl Series on ESPNU
• Rushed for 1,173 yards on 156 carries (7.5 yards per rush) and 16 touchdowns as a senior
• Totaled over 1,500 yards as a senior
• Season-high 170 rushing yards against Miami Booker T. Washington in the final regular season game of 2016
• Lettered three years in high school
• Missed his junior season with a knee injury
• Spent his first two years of high school at Cypress Bay (Weston, Florida)

Personal

• Born Aug. 6, 1998
• Son of Elizabeth and David Epstein
• Has one sister, Melanie, and one brother, Danny
• Brother, Danny, played football at Colgate (2011-12) and Bryant (2012-15)
• Learned to speak fluent Spanish from his mother
• Picked Illinois because, “of the great coaching staff, great fit for me, being one of the top academic schools in the country and the opportunity to play Big Ten football.”
• Graduated with a degree in marketing
• Enrolled in the strategic brand communication master's program