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Xavier Nwankpa | WUW 676 episode artwork

Mar 23, 2026 1 hr

Xavier Nwankpa | WUW 676

from Washed Up Walkons Hosted by Tyler Kluver

Xavier grew up in central Iowa and prepped at South East Polk before joining the Hawks in January of 2022. He joins to discuss being days away from Iowa’s Pro Day after a strong NFL Combine, describing the stressful schedule, extensive medical checks, and interview prep through weekly Zoom mock interviews. He reflects on training in Austin, returning to Iowa City, and his high school recruitment as a Southeast Polk standout, explaining why he chose Iowa over Ohio State and Notre Dame and valuing Kirk Ferentz’s stability and the staff’s honesty about earning everything. X shares early “welcome to college football” moments, his relationships with coaches Wallace, Parker, and Woods, and how he grew into a starter, including starting the Music City Bowl. He discusses NIL experiences like filming a Powerade ad, learning from teammates like Cooper DeJean and leaders like Jack Campbell, adding a more aggressive defensive mindset, favorite games, and his plan to make an NFL roster starting on special teams while completing agility, bench, and drills at Pro Day. If you love the show and want to show support, tell your friends! And, check out our exclusive content at Patreon.com/washedupwalkons where you can find extra podcast episodes, exclusive merchandise, Merch discounts with every tier, private Walkon discord channel access, and more! Find us on social media @washedupwalkons Visit TheWashedUpWalkons.com for all of our episodes, merchandise, and more!

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Xavier Nwankpa | WUW 676

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