| No. 93 – Texas Longhorns | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive tackle |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight | 299 lb (136 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Santa Margarita Catholic (Rancho Santa Margarita, California) |
| College |
|
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Hero Kanu is a German American football defensive tackle for the Texas Longhorns. He previously played for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Early life and high school
[edit]Kanu attended Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. He was rated as a four-star recruit and the 105th overall prospect in the class of 2022, where he committed to play college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes over offers from other schools such as Georgia, Notre Dame, and USC.[1]
College career
[edit]Ohio State
[edit]During his first three seasons with the Buckeyes from 2022 through 2024, Kanu appeared in 29 games, helping the Buckeyes win a National Championship, where he notched 14 tackles with one being for a loss, and a lone sack in the 2023 season versus Indiana.[2][3][4] After the 2024 season, Kanu entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[5]
Texas
[edit]Kanu transferred to play for the Texas Longhorns.[6] In week 3 of the 2025 season, he notched two tackles for a loss and a sack in a win over UTEP.[7]
College statistics
[edit]| Season | GP | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Ast | Cmb | TfL | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF | ||
| Ohio State Buckeyes | |||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Texas Longhorns | |||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 41 | 17 | 27 | 44 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
References
[edit]- ^ Kaufman, Joey (January 8, 2022). "Four-star defensive lineman Hero Kanu commits to Ohio State football for 2022 class". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
- ^ Rabinowitz, Bill (March 28, 2024). "DT Hero Kanu left soccer and Germany behind and is eager to make big splash for Ohio State". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
- ^ Eckert, David (January 29, 2025). "Texas football adds Ohio State transfer Hero Kanu. Here's what it means for the Longhorns". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
- ^ Jones, Thomas. "Texas football: Longhorns mine former Ohio State player Hero Kanu for information". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
- ^ Krajisnik, Stefan. "Ohio State football is losing a defensive lineman to the transfer portal". Cleveland.com. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
- ^ Bohls, Kirk. "From birria tacos to tackles, aptly named UT lineman Hero Kanu adapts after transfer from Ohio State". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
- ^ Hipschman, Henry. "Texas Longhorns DT Hero Kanu Talks 'Personal Decision' to Leave Ohio State". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 16, 2025.