Brown: Nwankpa Pledge Brings to Mind LaFrentz Commitment

5-star Safety Stays Home with Hawkeyes Decades After Top Hooper Chose Kansas

'22 Pleasant Hill Southeast Polk Safety Xavier Nwankpa at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Oct. 9, 2021. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa - As Xavier Nwankpa sat at a podium in the Southeast Polk High School auditorium Wednesday, moments before he told the world where he would go to play football and get his college education, I had a flashback.

I circled back to a November day in 1993, when another highly-ranked prospect was about to announce his college choice in the library at MFL of Monona/Mar-Mac of McGregor High School.

His name was Raef LaFrentz, the most highly-ranked basketball prospect the state of Iowa had produced at the time according to the scouting services. Nearly three decades later, Nwankpa is considered the highest-ranked football prospect the state of Iowa has ever produced. LaFrentz delivered a crushing blow to Hawkeye fans. Nwankpa did just the opposite. Raef picked Kansas over Iowa. Xavier picked Iowa over Ohio State and Notre Dame. Nwankpa’s choice was a popular one in this state, a kid who decided to stay home. The popularity polls weren’t as nice to LaFrentz.

That’s the nature of recruiting, and it’s something that’s never made sense. Stay at home and you’re a hero. Leave and you’re a traitor. Lost in the equation are the scores of athletes who leave their home states to wear the uniform of your favorite team.

In April of 2003, LaFrentz narrowed his list of schools to Kansas and Iowa. The Jayhawks had been to the Final Four two of the three previous seasons, and Coach Roy Williams was a masterful recruiter who would pull Raef, Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich and Harrison Barnes out of the state.

LaFrentz’s announcement was carried live on KOEL Radio in Oelwein. Reading from a prepared statement, Raef said, “During the next four years, I will attend college and play basketball for Coach Roy Williams and the University of Kansas.”

LaFrentz, who didn’t take questions afterwards, sounded almost apologetic about his decision as he continued to read.

“I understand how people here in the state of Iowa would like to see me a Hawkeye, it’s a fantastic program,” he said. “However, in my heart, I feel that I will be more able to reach my goals at the University of Kansas. I love their style of play and can see myself fitting very easily, plus they have a great group of people and players that I feel comfortable with.” LaFrentz made his official visit to Kansas in September of 1993, and visited Iowa the following month. He said during his announcement that the trip to Iowa City was “a blast,” but that Kansas and Williams had recruited him harder than anyone else.

At the end of his statement, LaFrentz touched on the disappointment he knew his decision would create.

“For those of you who are disappointed, I trust you will continue to support me as I try to reach my goals,” he said. “I hope you realize that I had to make the decision for Raef LaFrentz. Finally, I would like to thank all the schools who recruited me, especially the University of Iowa.” LaFrentz went on to a tremendous career. He was a consensus all-American as a junior and senior at Kansas. His No. 45 jersey was retired. He was the third player selected in the 1998 NBA Draft, by Denver, and averaged 10.1 points and 6.1 rebounds over 11 seasons and 563 career games with the Nuggets, Dallas, Boston and Portland.

Nwankpa’s announcement was televised live nationally by CBS Sports HQ. And nary an apologetic word was heard. He’d been offered scholarships from a cast of college bluebloods,

like Alabama, Oklahoma, Michigan, LSU, Texas, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Clemson. He passed on all of them and stayed at home.

A back-to-back selection to the Des Moines Register’s Elite all-state team, Xavier guided the Rams to a State Class 5A football title in 2021 and played four varsity seasons. He has speed, size and strength to go with a desire to get better. He’s a team-first guy who doesn’t play with me-first drama.

Nwankpa will graduate early from Southeast Polk and enroll at Iowa in January, which means he’ll get a jump-start on his college career by participating in spring ball. That’s the route taken a year ago by receivers Keagan Johnson and Arland Bruce IV, who made an immediate impact on this year’s team. Nwankpa, who seems tailor-made for the hybrid cash position on defense, hopes to make that kind of impact in 2022.

Two things stood out after Nwankpa’s announcement. He mentioned Iowa’s comeback victory over Penn State Oct. 8, on a day when he was making his official campus visit. It was a meeting of teams ranked in the top five at the time, and an electric Kinnick Stadium got the Hawkeyes over the top. The atmosphere also recharged Xavier’s desire to play for Iowa. He also mentioned Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz, and the stability he brings to the program. Ferentz is in his 23rd season as head coach and told his team last week that he’ll return in 2022 and beyond.

Of the 31 official offers Nwankpa received, seven of them - Oklahoma, Notre Dame, LSU, Florida, Oregon, USC and TCU - had coaching changes this season.

Ferentz, defensive coordinator Phil Parker and defensive recruiting coordinator Jay Niemann made their final home visit on Monday. Nwankpa posted a picture of himself with the three Iowa coaches on Twitter Tuesday. Parker had an uncharacteristic wry smile on his face. Some took it as a sign he’d just received some good news.

He had. The nation’s top-ranked safety and five-star recruit had told the coaches that he would attend Iowa, ending three-year recruiting journey.

Later, Xavier went to Twitter to do some recruiting. He started with his teammate, Kadyn Proctor, a highly rated and hotly recruited offensive tackle in the Class of 2023 and Nwankpa’s teammate. Proctor, a Top 10 recruit in that class of 2023, has narrowed his list of schools to 12 - Iowa, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Iowa State, Notre Dame, LSU, Florida, Texas A. and M., Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma. All 12 also offered Nwankpa.

Four-star wide receiver Kyler Kasper, son of former Hawkeye Kevin Kasper, has also heard from Xavier on social media. Proctor and Kasper were also at that Penn State game. This weekend, when Iowa has prospects from the classes of 2022, 2023 and 2024 coming to campus, Nwankpa will be also be there to do some recruiting in person.

People have always speculated what direction the Iowa basketball program would have gone had LaFrentz become a Hawkeye. Now, Iowa’s football program is about to find out what kind of impact Nwankpa can make….as a player and recruiter.