Before joining the Hawkeye Football program in 2022, Iowa senior defensive back Xavier Nwankpa was a star for Southeast Polk High School.
Nwankpa helped lead his team to a state championship during his senior year, and the state football playoffs every season. He was also named the MaxPreps Iowa Player of the Year as a senior.
247 Sports ranked Nwankpa as a five-star recruit, Iowa's No.1 safety and No. 1 overall player, and the No. 25 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class.
The Iowa program was ecstatic when he committed in December 2021, and he made an immediate impact as a freshman.
Nwankpa has been a solid contributor since his first year on campus, but has never broken out the way the fans and media thought he would following his five-star ranking coming out of high school.
Heading into his senior season, Nwankpa has been moved to his more natural position of free safety after spending the last three seasons playing strong safety.
Before the 2025-2026 college football season, "Big Ten Huddle" has named Nwankpa as one of the top players with something to prove this year.
Top 25 Big Ten players with the Most to Prove in 2025, per @jrs_rankings
— The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️ (@TheBigTenHuddle) August 6, 2025
LISTEN: https://t.co/KVA37uvZTE pic.twitter.com/kcc6fpW0tn
"Big Ten Huddle" named Nwankpa as the No. 2 overall player with something to prove this season. The position change could prove beneficial to this endeavor.
The Iowa defensive backs struggled mightily last season, and were a sore spot for an otherwise olid defensive unit. As a senior, Nwankpa must take control of the Iowa secondary and get them back to their 2023 form.
During his Iowa career, Nwankpa has accumulated 95 total tackles (67 solo, 28 assisted), including two tackles for loss and one sack. He also has two interceptions.
For the Iowa defense to succeed, the secondary must improve and take advantage of the pressure the defensive line will put on the running game and opposing quarterbacks.