Iowa football safety Xavier Nwankpa and teammate, defensive lineman Ethan Hurkett, were both signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as undrafted free agents on Saturday.

The former Hawkeyes will team up with their old rival, Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson, who was selected as the 161st pick in the fifth round.

Nwankpa, hailing from Pleasant Hill, Iowa, , appeared in 52 total games and racked up a total of 117 tackles, with three of them being for a loss. Nwankpa also earned three interceptions, returning one of them for a touchdown over his tenure. The former five-star recruit out of Southeast Polk High School started 36 games for the Hawkeyes. He earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from league media last season. 

Hurkett, a native of Cedar Rapids, gained a total of 30.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks over his 55 games played. The 6-foot-3 defensive lineman also earned himself an Academic All-Big Ten from 2021 to 2025. Im 2025, Hurkett, a team captain, recorded a career-high 36 tackles, 10.5 for loss and eight sacks. 

The Chiefs are four-time Super Bowl champions and reached the title game for three years in a row before last year’s 6-11 finish. Kansas City features former Purdue edge rusher George Karlaftis and Ashton Gillotte at defensive end while Alohi Gilman stars at free safety.