Xavier Nwankpa Commits to Iowa Football

5-Star Southeast Polk Safety Picks Hawkeyes Ahead of Ohio St., Notre Dame

Pleasant Hill (IA) Southeast Polk safety Xavier Nwankpa visiting Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 4, 2021. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)

Iowa Football needed some good news after Saturday's 42-3 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Championship Game. It received it Wednesday in the form of Xavier Nwankpa. 

The five-star safety from Pleasant Hill (IA) Southeast Polk announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes on his 18th birthday. He chose them ahead of fellow finalists Ohio State and Notre Dame. His 31 reported offers also included Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and USC. 

🚨🚨Official announcement: ⁦@xaviernwankpa01⁩ commits to ⁦@HawkeyeFootball⁩ pic.twitter.com/lYpQ8QiRoR

— Southeast Polk Rams (@SEPolkRams) December 8, 2021

Nwankpa became Iowa's 12th known verbal commitment in the 2022 recruiting class. Four of them have been projected to play defense. 

Southeast Polk won the Class 5A State Championship last month. Nwankpa was named the player of the year in Iowa after totaling 26 tackles (23 solo), four interceptions and a sack on defense. He caught 33 passes for 391 yards and five touchdowns to go with eight carries for 49 yards. He returned two kicks for 116 yards and a score, and brought back eight punts and 191 yards. 

Rivals ranks Nwankpa as the No. 1 safety and the No. 20 player overall nationally in the '22 class.          

Check out Nwankpa's senior highlights HERE   

Here's a look at Iowa's verbal commitments in '22: 

Aaron Graves, DL, Iowa 

Caden Crawford, DL, Kansas

Jack Dotzler, OL, Wisconsin 

Jayden Montgomery, LB, Wisconsin

Kale Krogh, OL, Iowa

Carson May, QB, Oklahoma

Jacob Bostick, WR, Illinois  

Addison Ostrenga, TE, Wisconsin

Jazuin Patterson, RB, Florida   

Cael Vanderbush, TE, Indiana

Kaleb Johnson, RB, Ohio

Xavier Nwankpa, S, Iowa