Fansided · Feb 28
Xavier Nwankpa squashed any doubts about his athleticism with his Combine performance
Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa defensive back Xavier Nwankpa (DB43) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesStop me if you have heard this one before: a former Hawkeye has sneaky good athleticism.
This is surely the case for former safety Xavier Nwankpa, who was one of the highest-ranked recruits in Iowa's program history coming out of high school.
Nwankpa played all over the defense during his time at Southeast Polk High School, but primarily played strong safety during most of his college career.
Last season, Nwankpa made a position change to free safety, and it paid off in a big way.