The defense will be the strength of an Iowa squad looking to make it back to the Big Ten Championship.
This has been Iowa football for the better part of a decade now. The offense tries not to mess things up too much as the defense does all of the heavy lifting. It was extremely evident last year as the Hawkeyes’ offense, specifically the passing game, struggled to do much of anything.
The defense meanwhile held teams to under 20 points while reeling in a nation-best 25 interceptions.
While there is a ton of talent in the front seven, linebacker Jack Campbell is a name to watch out for in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft and Lukas Van Ness looks to be the next breakout Iowa defensive lineman, the secondary is where Iowa stands out amongst their Big Ten peers.
Returning is Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year Riley Moss, one of the best cornerbacks in the nation, as well as key starters Jermari Harris and Kaevon Merriweather. The Hawkeyes do lose star safety Dane Belton, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft to the New York Giants, who led the Hawkeyes in picks with five, but they might have a replacement in super freshman Xavier Nwankpa.
“X” is the biggest wildcard for the Hawkeyes’ defense this year. He has undeniable talent, carrying a five-star rating from Rivals, and can be the next in a great line of Iowa defensive backs in the NFL.
The big question is just how ready is he to step in against the best teams in the nation, with powerhouses such as Ohio State and Michigan on the Hawkeyes’ schedule. He is the name to watch over the course of the season.
Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: Pleasant Hill, Iowa.
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 210
Class in 2022: Freshman
247Sports composite ranking
2022 four star / No. 5 safety / No. 1 player in Iowa
Career Stats
N/A
Depth Chart Overview
It is difficult to project this early on just what Nwankpa’s role is going to be in his freshman year. What he starts out the season doing and his playing time on the field can drastically change as the season progresses. With so much talent returning to this Iowa defense, it can be hard for a freshman to earn a starting spot, but Nwankpa has the size and athleticism to at least push for snaps early on.
There is a lot of talk that he is in competition with sophomore Cooper DeJean for the CASH position. With DeJean’s versatility, there is definitely a possibility that you see DeJean start at the position a good amount of the time, but switch to another role on the defense, allowing Nwankpa to share the field.
Whether he’s a starter or not, Nwankpa should be able to see the field, get his feet wet as a freshman, and hopefully make an impact.
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