Kirk Ferentz’s Iowa Hawkeyes picked up one of the biggest recruiting wins in his tenure yesterday, when Southeast Polk Class of 2022 safety Xavier Nwankpa, chose the Hawkeyes as his home for the next 4 years. Nwankpa chose Iowa over Notre Dame and Ohio State.
Nwankpa is rated as a 5-star recruit according to Rivals and 247 Sports, making him the 2nd 5-star to ever pledge a commitment to the Hawkeyes, and the highest-rated recruit to ever commit to Iowa. With the commitment, Iowa’s 2022 recruiting class moves from 52nd to 38th, according to 247 Sports.
The announcement of Nwankpa’s decision was carried live on CBS Sports, and also by WHO-TV, KCCI-TV and WOI-TV. The Pleasant Hill-native is expected to be an early-enrollee for the winter of 2022.