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.