The Texas Longhorns have landed a big piece to the transfer puzzle ... literally. Ohio State defensive lineman Hero Kanu has committed to UT from the transfer portal This is the third interior defensive lineman that has committed to Texas during this portal window. Cole Brevard from Purdue and Travis Shaw from North Carolina have already joined the Longhorns Kanu will have two years of eligibility remaining when he arrives at the 40 Acres Kanu came to the United States from Geltendorf, Germany in high school when it was clear he was going to be a college prospect and attended Santa Margarita Catholic High School in California. Gerry Hamilton of On Texas Football says Kanu offers UT a high-value prospect "You get a guy that's three years into his college development at Ohio State Played a little bit in 2023 and a little bit in 2024 So he's through that physical and technical development curve Texas is getting him at a time when he's ready to come in and play real snaps and be a really strong rotational player for Texas." -- Gerry Hamilton Kanu visited Austin on Sunday before taking a trip to Gainesville to check out Florida. Kanu liked what he saw at Texas. “Man, it was cool. It was only a limited time so it was only like a conversation,” Kanu told 247Sports “I had a good conversation with Coach Sark Just having a conversation about the future.” Kanu played in 26 games with the Buckeyes and had 14 tackles and one sack. As a 2022 recruit, he ranked as the No. 17 defensive lineman and the No. 118 overall player in the country Hero Kanu assumed the call on was merely an introduction Kanu had played in exactly one high school football game Kanu’s Santa Margarita (Calif.) Catholic team had opened its COVID-19-delayed season with a 54-16 win against Mayfair The game itself was as fun as the 6-foot-4 293-pound defensive tackle always imagined it would be when he watched American football on TV back home in Germany When Kanu got on the phone with Washington assistant Rip Rowan on March 15 Kanu figured Rowan was establishing a relationship that — with a great spring season and a good camp circuit in the summer — might ultimately lead to a scholarship offer we’re offering you a full scholarship,’” Kanu said this week blasting through blockers to make plays implode — Brandon Collier (@BCollierPPI) March 13, 2021 But Kanu wondered if he’d played well enough to get a scholarship offer a few days later Santa Margarita Catholic coach Anthony Rouzier put Kanu on the phone with USC assistant Vic So’oto That made him a little groggy the following morning when Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White offered a scholarship to play for the Wildcats Rouzier just laughs as he ponders the initial flurry of scholarship offers for Kanu — which continued Monday when Ole Miss offered “He has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.” Kanu was a large kid in the small Bavarian town of Geltendorf (population: 5,600) who dreamed of playing a sport he’d only seen on television Now he has offers from the aforementioned schools as well as Oregon It started when a friend introduced Kanu to Brandon Collier the former UMass defensive tackle who lives in Germany and runs a company called PPI Recruits that connects European football players with American universities “You could tell his growth plates were wide open,” Collier said As Collier put Kanu through different football drills the American expat marveled at how easily Kanu moved considering his size “I knew when he started playing football he’d be really good.” Collier thought Kanu could be an elite recruit if he had a chance to play against good high school competition in the United States. Collier had sent fellow German Maurice Heims to California to play for Rouzier Collier thought Kanu — who turned 16 in September — would wind up in the recruiting class of 2023 But because he finished 10th grade in Germany before coming to California last September he actually is a member of the class of 2022 He’ll play in the pandemic-delayed 2020 season this spring and the 2021 season this fall He’ll be eligible to sign with a college in December Getting to California required some convincing Kanu’s parents Kingsley and Judith were cool to the idea of allowing the youngest of their three children to cross an ocean to play a sport who is originally from Nigeria — and whose brother Nnamdi is the leader of a separatist group called the Indigenous People of Biafra — and Judith weren’t familiar with how high school and college sports worked on this side of the Atlantic Collier explained that people with Kanu’s combination of size and agility aren’t exactly plentiful and the move could result in a college scholarship but he knew when they took him to the airport last September that going so far from home wouldn’t be easy — and it hasn’t been “There are moments where you feel alone because your actual parents are not here,” Kanu said “You know that feeling that there is somebody out there who actually loves you whose English is excellent and improving with each day “People are more open to talk to each other,” he said I went down to the basketball court and just played with some people.” Kanu made fast friends with his football teammates and he has relished learning the finer points of the sport after spending so much time on drills in Germany there are things Kanu can’t find in California I will eat eight of them every morning when I get back for two weeks in the summer The carb loading can be excused given the amount Kanu’s body is changing as he does his first real weight training he could bench-press 225 pounds three times His one-rep squat max has jumped from 355 to 475 Kanu has drawn physical comparisons to a far more realistic monster “People tell me I look like Ndamukong Suh,” Kanu said “And I sometimes play like him — just not as nasty as him.” The comparison is a lot to live up to but Kanu’s basic physical characteristics are similar to Suh’s at that age When Suh was a senior at Grant High in Portland he was 6-4 and a decidedly not sloppy 275 pounds and his uncommon agility at that size made him nearly unblockable “It was a great experience for me,” Kanu said @HeroKanu #45 vs Bosco in California at nose 6’5 293lbs watch the great get off and how he pushes the center into the pulling guard then shrugs the lineman off and make a tackle This dude can be the most dominate DT in this class when he keeps working! pic.twitter.com/ezvWuZcTDx — Brandon Collier (@BCollierPPI) March 22, 2021 Rouzier wants Kanu to learn how it feels to face elite talent because that’s all he’ll see at the schools that are recruiting him Rouzier also doesn’t want Kanu to be shy about using his athleticism “He’s starting to get more twitchy and starting to do some Aaron Donald swims,” Rouzier said He’s too good of a player for him to take blocks on Rouzier also has some advice for college coaches recruiting Kanu They don’t have to offer scholarships right away Nor do they need to promise Kanu any playing time or potential draft status Doing that might put a coach on the wrong end of a cultural divide “The whole hype and hoopla thing is not really their deal.” Rouzier hopes the NCAA will vote as expected to allow campus visits this summer That will allow Kanu to narrow his options and more closely examine his finalists playing the rest of this season this spring will allow colleges to get more video of Kanu against quality competition to determine whether he fits what they want “His size and speed and fluidity are definitely things you can’t teach,” Rouzier said And if schools want to have a chance at landing Kanu they’d better find some good Bavarian pretzels for his official visit (Top photo: Jeff Jackson / Patronus Media) Andy Staples covers college football and all barbecue-related issues for The Athletic. He covered college football for Sports Illustrated from 2008-19. He also hosts "The Andy Staples Show." Follow Andy on Twitter @Andy_Staples There are no statistics available for this player Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Almost every Ohio State freshman has a welcome-to-college-football moment, and defensive tackle Hero Kanu remembers his well During a preseason camp scrimmage two years ago, Buckeyes offensive tackle Josh Fryar pancaked Kanu ‘Dang.’ I looked up at coach J (defensive line coach Larry Johnson) and he said Now he could be poised for a breakthrough on OSU’s deep defensive line Ty Hamilton and Tyleik Williams are the projected starting tackles but Kanu is among several pushing for more playing time More: At 72, Ohio State football's Larry Johnson approaching season with elite position group Kanu’s potential is particularly intriguing because he is still new to football His mother is German and his father Nigerian But when he grew to 6 feet 4 and 250 pounds as a teenager More: After year-long suspension, Ohio State football's Bennett Christian aims to show growth he’d been introduced to football by an older friend who had played high school ball in Oklahoma and believed it suited him better “Football is different than soccer,” Kanu said and I didn’t like that because a lot of times it’s fake and at the same moment football came into my life.” a Cleveland native who founded PPI Recruits which helps place international prospects with colleges "You saw the brute strength from him," Collier said and from how he could move from his soccer background I knew his future would be really big at defensive tackle." Collier was also struck by Kanu's personality "He's almost like a big teddy bear," he said It's tough to get him mad unless you're on the football field I say this all the time because I work with great kids he's going to be successful because people like to be around him." ‘Is this real?’ It took a couple of days to really process it whatever it takes.’ I went to America and played my season there Kanu went to Santa Margarita Catholic High School in California because the school's coach was Collier's college teammate at the University of Massachusetts Said Collier: "Leaving home in Germany at 15 years old to test America and be by himself and leaving his family and friends is a testament and I think Buckeye fans should be rooting for this kid I don't think anybody's got a better first name in college football than him." and his parents wanted another name that began with a "D." "My mom suggested Damon or something like that," Kanu said "My dad is a very religious guy who said it sounds too much like demon and didn't like it He slept that night and woke up in the middle of the night and said his path is one he couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago “I did not have that on my radar,” Kanu said and he brought me to the point that I am right now.” He learned English as a second language growing up but had to rely on Google Translator for the first three months in the U.S and coach J definitely had to push a little bit,” Kanu said “I think he did a great job of bringing it out in me.” Kanu played three games for Ohio State as a freshman and 12 last year He got his only sack in the opener against Indiana when he bull-rushed an IU offensive lineman Kanu played 90 defensive snaps last season and showed enough that defensive coordinator Jim Knowles can envision a bigger role for Kanu this year “Hero really flashed last year at times when you go back and watch the film,” Knowles said “That's a guy who needs to have a good spring for us because he's going to be next man in.” Though he did it less last year than usual Ohio State could play more games than ever and will need to rely on their depth “I feel I’m elevating my game every day,” he said “Coach J is pushing me every day to get better I’m not worried about anything else right now.” Kaltenberg Castle has made a name for itself nationwide thanks to the numerous events that regularly take place there For refreshment there is the restaurant "Ritterschwemme" the castle also has a beautiful beer garden Car: The best way to get to Kaltenberg Castle by car from Munich is to take the A96 in the western direction Public transport: The S-Bahn S4 goes to Geltendorf from there it's about 5 kilometers to Kaltenberg Castle which you can partly cover by bus or on foot © 2025 Portal München Betriebs GmbH & Co KG - Ein Service der Landeshauptstadt München und der Stadtwerke München GmbH Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Hero Kanu (93) where he quickly became a four-star prospect at Santa Margarita Catholic High School The German-born lineman ended up committing to Ohio State over several top programs including Notre Dame Hero ended up serving as a rotational piece through his three seasons in Columbus, recording just 14 tackles and a sack through 29 career games. Coincidentally, he recorded his final tackle for OSU in their CFP semifinal victory over Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Given his combination size and agility from his soccer-playing days, it's no surprise that SEC programs like UT and UGA pursued him out of the transfer portal the Longhorns have aggressively hunted for defensive line depth in the past month given the level of attrition they've experienced since the end of the regular season Hero joins Travis Shaw and Cole Brevard on the list of linemen transferring to UT for next season all three of whom having Power Four experience Time will tell how much of an impact they will make in 2025 An in-depth look at one of the newest Ohio State commits Hero Kanu is one of the most interesting stories you will find when following recruiting in college football but came over to the United States to play football for Santa Margarita in California He is a former soccer player that finally found his true calling A soccer player with that kind of size is a scary sight as even a football player of his size can strike fear into an opponent This will be the first time a player from Germany has strapped up for the Buckeyes and I for one an excited to see what he can do now let's dive into what he put out there on tape this year the first thing you notice with Kanu is he plays with great pad level and leverage He gets lower than his opponents and gains leverage with incredible speed off the snap of the football When you couple this with the absolute power he possesses in his leg drives he often times will push linemen right off the football seconds after the snap and with the strength training he will get in Columbus that will only improve from this point forward pound for pound he is also one of the most athletic players in the class of 2022 despite his size Kanu is a pure athlete that can beat linemen with power or finesse His get-off on the snap is truly impressive to see on film He almost appears to be offsides but never is it is just the simple fact he is out of his stance before his opponent a good 90 percent of the time seeing him get out his stance quicker than you as an offensive lineman has to be disheartening The very first play of his highlights against California powerhouse St John Bosco shows just how fast he gets off the snap of the ball He immediately shoots the gap between the linemen and makes a huge tackle for loss The second play of the highlight tape immediately shows the flip side of his game as he bull rushes over the offensive lineman and makes yet another tackle for loss on the play As soon as he gets leverage or the edge on a lineman He truly knows how to make them pay for bad form or technique The most intriguing part of all of this is he is still so new to the game who had played basketball for the lion’s share of his life prior to starting up football This just blows my mind every time I watch him play as it is obvious he is one of the best players on the field but when you try and accept this is all still so new to him it has got to make you smile knowing the best is still ahead Larry Johnson seems to have another season or two left in his tank and he is very excited to work with Hero based on interviews and what was said in various forums Kanu came to Columbus over the summer just to work with Johnson and even canceled his plans the very next day to come back and get more work in That shows me he truly wants to absorb everything he can from coach LJ and really has the work ethic to achieve greatness His run stopping ability is the part of his game so far I am the most impressed with as he also can really anchor down and hold his ground not allowing the offensive line to get that forward push they so desperately need in order to move the line of scrimmage forward on run plays He can sit in the middle of the hole and be an immoveable object which often times forces the running back or ball carrier to have to bounce plays outside that they normally would not wanting to do so on Once he gains the slightest bit of an edge or leverage on an opponent, his pure power almost tosses them to the ground without any issue and I encourage you all to take a look at his film 247Sports has his player comparison as Cameron Heyward which is quite fitting given the sense he too also once walked the halls in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center I can definitely see him developing into a Heyward type but he has a few areas he will need to step up before getting close to that level He is still so new to the game that he has obvious areas in which he will need improvement but that is something his work ethic and determination will easily allow him to catch up on He will need to learn more pass rush techniques and methods other than the bull rush and what is currently in his arsenal This is something that will probably take at least a redshirt season as I do not think he will be one of the players who gets on the field immediately as someone who is still very much learning the game However, Ohio State does not need him to make an instant impact with who is currently in the DT room but they will very much need him the following year when there are a bevy of openings on the defensive interior Hero Kanu will be bulked up and with just enough knowledge of the Jim Knowles defense combined with new pass rushing moves to make a real impact The defensive tackle room could definitely use a Hero we are gonna be seeing a whole lot of the Kanu sack dance in his time in Columbus Next year ☝ https://t.co/CZyj3LDWf8 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Link Copied!0DebateThere ain’t nothing scarier than Ohio State’s D-line in the playoffs of the 2024 season Ohio State’s defensive line is a wrecking crew straight out of a Marvel movie smashing quarterbacks like they’re taking down supervillains They’ve stacked 16 sacks this playoff campaign alone there’s more to this man than his on-field carnage Behind every Hero (literally) are two unsung champions the parents of this German-born powerhouse Picture this: a 6’2” German woman towering over the West End zone stands Judith is a vibe—straight-up soccer mom turned football fan She wasn’t exactly on board when Hero dropped the “I wanna move to America to play football” bomb Judith didn’t even know how college sports worked in the U.S. so the idea of sending her baby boy across the ocean seemed wild And thank goodness she did because her son went from kicking soccer balls to kicking offensive lines every week from the small-town fields of Germany to the bright lights of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta She’s watching her son dominate on one of college football’s biggest stages A post shared by Hero “Big Nito” Kanu (@herokanu93) Kingsley’s roots run deep—he’s originally from Nigeria and his brother Nnamdi is kind of a big deal back home leading a separatist movement called the Indigenous People of Biafra Kingsley wasn’t low-key exactly hyped about his youngest son ditching soccer and the Kanus packed up their lives to support Hero’s dreams It’s wild to think about—how a Nigerian-German kid who didn’t even touch a football until late And now wrecking offensive lines in the NCAA Guess Kingsley’s belief in Hero is low-key misplaced What’s your perspective on:From Germany to NCAA stardom: Does Hero Kanu redefine what it means to chase the American dream Hero was all about soccer until a chance encounter changed his life kicking a soccer ball around when his friend Phillip shows up tossing a football founder of Premier Prospects International This man is like the Professor X of European football recruits helping them get noticed by American programs Hero hit international camps and realized football wasn’t just a sport—it was his shot at something bigger Hero and his family made the bold move to Cali where he attended Santa Margarita Catholic High School he went from a football newbie to a 4-star recruit with offers from schools like Penn State and Alabama 0  DebateWhat's Your Perspective OnFrom Germany to NCAA stardom: Does Hero Kanu redefine what it means to chase the American dream? 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