Xavier Nwankpa’s Commitment
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On Wednesday, December 8, Southeast Polk’s five-star safety Xavier Nwankpa announced his commitment to Iowa.
On Wednesday, December 8, Southeast Polk’s five-star safety Xavier Nwankpa announced his commitment to Iowa.
He told Iowa coaches his intent during an in-home visit on Monday night, then made it public on Wednesday, live on CBS Sports HQ. “It feels like brotherhood there,” Nwankpa said when he reflected on his decision. “They have some of the best DB production in the country, it’s a chance to do something that hasn’t been done yet,” he stated to a CBS Sports HQ representative.
Nwankpa is from Altoona, Iowa, and attends high school at Southeast Polk. His decision to stay in-state and play for Iowa, instead of leaving and playing for a top program out of state should make him a Hawkeye fan favorite.
The 6’2, 190-pound safety is the Register’s No. 1 in-state 2022 prospect. He is also the No. 1 safety and No. 11 overall 2022 prospect, according to 247Sports Composite. Nwankpa received 31 offers from various D1 Universities including some of the top programs in the nation, but in October had narrowed down his three options to Iowa, Notre Dame, and Ohio State.
Before making a decision, Nwankpa took his final visits to his top three schools throughout October. He took his last official visit to Iowa for the Penn State game the weekend of October 9th, then made two unofficial visits to Notre Dame on October 23rd and to Ohio State on October 30th.
Within the last week of Nwankpa’s recruitment, there was a change in the head coach position at Notre Dame, which affected his decision. While he did like Notre Dame’s new head coach, Marcus Freeman, the switch-up showed Nwankpa what was important in his decided school, overall weighing in on his decision.
“I wasn’t really dead set [on my decision], but it definitely made a focus on stability, which is a big part for me, which ultimately helped me make the decision,” Nwankpa told the Des Moines Register.
Nwankpa capped his high school career with Southeast Polk’s first class 5A state title in program history. Over his senior season, on offense Nwankpa finished with 391 yards and five touchdowns on five receptions. On defense, Nwankpa recorded 26 total tackles, 23 of which were solo. He led Southeast Polk with four interceptions for 86 yards and made the All-Iowa Elite Team as a safety for the second straight year.
Nwankpa will finish his time in high school football with a trip to the All American Bowl in January and is planning to early-enroll at Iowa in the new year.