Xavier Nwankpa is the top-rated safety in the 2022 class, so it was massive news in recent days when the five-star announced his top three of Iowa, Ohio State and Notre Dame.
There were many other programs that the Pleasant Hill (Iowa) Southeast Polk considered, including Texas A&M, Clemson, LSU and others. But three remain and there is not an absolutely clear leader among the group.
Iowa has made up a tremendous amount of ground in the last few months. Nwankpa has taken visits to Iowa City, he’s seen the Hawkeyes play incredibly well this season, he’s expected back on campus this weekend for the huge matchup against Penn State and he respects defensive coordinator Phil Parker a ton and sees the NFL success there.
Ohio State was the early leader and continues to be a serious player as Nwankpa works toward a decision on his birthday, Dec. 8. The NFL development is there. The hunt for a national title is there. The Buckeyes have long been considered the team to beat in his recruitment, and they’re still right there in his top three.
Notre Dame offered early and continued to recruit Nwankpa hard, and there’s a real comparison to the five-star possibly being the next Kyle Hamilton-like safety in South Bend. The addition of Marcus Freeman as defensive coordinator is also something Nwankpa likes and another reason why the Irish are so high on his list.
In today’s Making the Case, experts from around the Rivals network make an argument for a particular school and then National Recruiting Director Adam Gorney issues his verdict as to where he sees Nwankpa ending up.
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IOWA
It feels like Iowa's momentum with Nwankpa has picked up quite a bit of steam recently, so much so that you could almost say the Hawkeyes are now the favorite. This weekend, he will be making his official visit, which will mark his second game at Kinnick Stadium this season and fourth visit to campus overall this year. Iowa continues to sell the idea of being a home-state hero and playing in a market where he already has a brand, which is more important now than ever.
Also, four-star wide receiver Kyler Kasper, who was a 7-on-7 teammate this past summer, has entered the picture as he has a good relationship with Nwankpa and will also be on campus this weekend, as will high school teammate Kadyn Proctor. All of that, of course, is in addition to Iowa getting off to a great start this season with the No. 3-ranked team, led by their defense with a secondary that has the most interceptions in the country. - Blair Sanderson, HawkeyeReport.com
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OHIO STATE
For whatever reason, I get the feeling that many outside of Columbus believe the Buckeyes have slipped in Nwankpa’s recruitment over the last month. I don’t get that sense at all and in talking with those around the recruitment, and I believe the Buckeyes are still in a good position. Making the top three was the expectation for the Buckeyes staff and there was no reason heading into the announcement to ever doubt that.
However, now things get cranked up an extra notch for the No. 1 safety in the country. The Buckeyes' staff is expected to get Nwankpa back on campus for what should be one of the best game-day environments of the year in Columbus for the matchup against Penn State. The other two schools here, Iowa and Notre Dame, certainly aren’t going down without a fight, and that’s what is going to make this one so much fun to track down the stretch. You can bet the Ohio State staff and the 2022 class are geared up for this heavyweight bout. - Eric Lammers, ScarletAndGrayReport.com
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NOTRE DAME
Iowa and Notre Dame offered Nwankpa nearly two years ago, dating back to the fall of 2019, and I believe those are the two lead schools for the elite talent at this point in time. The in-state pull for Nwankpa is strong, but Notre Dame’s pitch is very intriguing as well. Nwankpa has the opportunity to play a big role in Notre Dame’s defense as a true freshman, just like Kyle Hamilton did at safety in 2019, and he loves the blend of academics and athletics. The race is too close to call right now, and there’s much more movement that will take place before it comes decision time for Nwankpa. - Mike Singer, BlueandGold.com
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THE VERDICT
Making a pick here is extremely difficult - if not downright impossible - because Nwankpa is still seriously weighing all three schools, and a legitimate argument could be made for the Buckeyes, Hawkeyes and Irish. But I have gotten some important intelligence about his recruitment recently that leads me to believe Iowa is looking better than many suspect at this point. Is Nwankpa a lock to the Hawkeyes? No.
But there is a tremendous amount of increased interest in recent months, and any questions that Nwankpa and his family had about the program have been answered. Iowa’s success this season and in the past developing NFL players is big, and NIL is a factor as well since Nwankpa would be the state’s marquee player, which could be lucrative. Ohio State and Notre Dame are absolutely right there but I’m picking the Hawkeyes right now, with the caveat that I can change my mind in the coming months if more info comes my way.” - Gorney
