Strong secondary play has nearly become synonymous with the Iowa Hawkeyes under the leadership of defensive coordinator Phil Parker. Iowa has produced Cooper DeJean, Riley Moss, Dane Belton, and many others over the last decade who are now making a living in the NFL.
The next in line for Iowa could be a homegrown five-star recruit, Xavier Nwankpa. Iowa’s starting safety entering 2025 has grown some hype and anticipation around his name, with fans dreaming of what the next step could look like for him.
They aren’t alone, either. Pro Football Focus believes Nwankpa could become a household name in the safety ranks of the college football world. They have put him among their top 10 safeties to watch for the 2026 NFL draft.
Xavier Nwankpa, Iowa
It was largely a junior season to forget for Nwankpa as he earned just a 71.0 PFF grade. 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. – Max Chadwick, PFF
Xavier Nwankpa could be ready for a breakout year on the heels of a position change this offseason. After spending time occupying the free safety position up to this point in his career, he has moved into the strong safety role, which will allow him to get the most out of his game.
“I think it’s another opportunity. We had some other guys that were trying to get on the field over there, and I think sometimes if you want to try to bring him down in the box, a bigger guy, it would be helpful I think to bring him down there. I wouldn’t say a linebacker depth at times. I guess we would bring him down, and I think he can see more. I think he’s more comfortable there at free safety,” Phil Parker said about changing Nwankpa’s position.
In his first three years with Iowa, Xavier Nwankpa has made 39 appearances and 23 starts during his time. He has tallied 95 tackles, 6 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions for Iowa.
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football starting safety among top 10 to watch for 2026 NFL draft
Reporting by Riley Donald, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
