4-stars Xavier Nwankpa, Kyler Kasper visiting Iowa this weekend
Two elite players have announced their intention to be in Iowa City, Iowa, this Saturday for the nation’s only top-five matchup of the weekend. Altoona (Iowa) Southeast Polk four-star senior safety Xavier Nwankpa and Gilbert (Ariz.) Williams Field four-star junior wide receiver Kyler Kasper will both be at Kinnick Stadium to watch No. 3 Iowa take on No. 4 Penn State.
It will be one of the biggest home games in recent Hawkeyes memory, so it is no surprise that two of their top targets in the 2022 and 2023 recruiting cycles will be making the trip.
Xavier Nwankpa just released his top three schools
Xavier Nwankpa’s visit will come one week after announcing his top three schools: Iowa, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
He talked with On3’s Hayes Fawcett about each of his three schools after making the announcement.
“Iowa has a top notch defense with some of the most respected coaches and players that I went to highschool with, and played against,” Nwankpa told Fawcett. “It is a local school that is really starting to do something. Defensively, Coach (Phil) Parker and his scheme is one of the best in college football, and develops not even highly-ranked defensive backs into NFL talents.”
Xavier Nwankpa is the best recruit in Iowa in the 2022 cycle. He is the No. 62 overall recruit in the 2022 On300 and third-best safety in America.
Kyler Kasper is the son of a former Iowa wide receiver
A 6-foot-5 wideout, Kyler Kasper has offers from 17 schools, including Arizona, Arizona State, Iowa State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon, UCLA and USC
Kyler Kasper has the potential to be a second-generation Division I wide receiver after his father, Kevin Kasper.
Kevin Kasper joined Iowa as a walk-on but left as one of the best receivers in program history. After his senior season in 2000, he was the program’s leader in career receptions and third in receiving yards. That senior season was also one for the record books. Kasper had 82 catches — which is still a program record — 1010 yards and seven touchdowns.
Kevin Kasper was drafted in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft and played for five teams over five seasons. He won Super Bowl XXXIX with the New England Patriots.
It remains to be seen who else will be joining Xavier Nwankpa and Kyler Kasper in Kinnick on Saturday. But having those two is a great start for any team’s weekend recruit visit list.