Iowa Hawkeyes Defender Receives Head-Turning Outlook for the Future

Despite a down year in 2024, this Iowa Hawkeyes star defensive back is already gaining hype heading into next season.

Sep 30, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Nick Jackson (10) and defensive back Xavier Nwankpa (1) react against the Michigan State Spartans during the second quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Despite the 2025 NFL Draft taking place just under a month ago, experts have already begun looking into next year's class. Luckily for the Iowa Hawkeyes, one of the program's star defenders has been floating in draft discussions.

PFF College Football Analyst Max Chadwick recently wrote about some of the top safeties to watch for the 2026 NFL Draft. The list included Iowa's star defensive back Xavier Nwankpa, claiming that he will be looking to have a bounce-back season.

"It was largely a junior season to forget for Nwankpa as he earned just a 71.0 PFF grade," wrote Chadwick. "As a true sophomore the year before, he was the most valuable safety in the nation according to our WAA metric while tying for fourth among Power Four safeties with an 88.4 coverage grade. Nwankpa has good size for the position at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and will be looking to have a bounce-back senior campaign."

After a phenominal sophomore season, many analysts projected Nwankpa to be in the mix for the 2025 NFL Draft. However, the hype that he obtained heading into the 2024 season was short-lived, as the star safety had a decline in production as a junior. Nwankpa played 461 snaps last season, which was nearly half the number of his total from 2023.

Despite the slight dip in numbers, Nwankpa's combination of size and athleticism makes him an intriguing watch next season. In addition to his raw potential, the former five-star recruit will likely see more time back at the free safety position in 2025, which he has proven to thrive in prior seasons.

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