The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
2026 Football Roster
Roster
Hero Kanu
- Position:
- DL
- Height:
- 6-5
- Weight:
- 309
- Class:
- Fifth Year
- Hometown:
- Geltendorf, Germany
- High School:
- Santa Margarita Catholic
- Major:
- Communication & Leadership
A second-year defensive lineman... has played in 40 career games ... has played in 14 games with 13 starts at Texas ... 2026 Phil Steele preseason Second-Team SEC selection ... 2026 Phil Steele preseason Fourth-Team All-America selection ... named to the 2025-26 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll.
FIFTH YEAR (2026)
Started in season opener against Texas State (9/5), recording three tackles (two solo), including 1.5 tackles for a loss of four yards.
SENIOR (2025)
Played in 13 games with 12 starts ... made his Longhorn debut at Ohio State (8/30) and logged two total tackles (one solo) ... played in and started in home opener vs. San Jose State (9/6) and notched two total tackles ... recorded three total tackles (two solo) along with 2.0 TFL for two yards and 1.0 sack vs. UTEP (9/13)...recorded six total tackles (one solo) at Florida (10/4) ... logged two tackles against Oklahoma (10/11) ... credited with four tackles (two solo) at Kentucky (10/18), including 0.5 TFL for 3 yards, as well as a forced fumble ... posted four tackles (two solo) at Mississippi State (10/25) including a sack for a loss of six yards ... registered three tackles (one solo) and a quarterback hurry against Vanderbilt (11/1) ... made two tackles at Georgia (11/15) including 0.5 TFL ... notched one tackle against Arkansas (11/22) ... logged two tackles against Texas A&M (11/28) ... saw action in Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs. Michigan (12/31).
BEFORE TEXAS
A transfer defensive tackle from Ohio State … During the 2024 season, Kanu appeared in 15 games and posted four tackles (one solo) … recorded one tackle in each of Ohio State’s wins against Penn State, Indiana, Oregon and Texas … played in 12 of 13 games in 2023 and recorded 10 total tackles including his first quarterback sack, for minus-5 yards against Indiana … recorded tackles in eight of the 12 games he played in with a high of two tackles against Indiana and Youngstown State … red-shirted the 2022 season but did see his first collegiate action, playing in three games: against Arkansas State, Toledo and Rutgers.
HIGH SCHOOL
Was the nation’s No. 105-ranked player overall and earned a four-star designation by 247Sports … invited to the All-American Bowl … had 55 tackles, including nine sacks and 19.0 tackles for loss, as a senior at Santa Margarita Catholic … registered 28 tackles and 9.0 tackles for loss to go along with 1.5 sacks last year in his first season at Santa Margarita Catholic.
PERSONAL
Grew up in Geltendorf, Germany, a small community of a just over 1,000 residents less than one hour west of Munich ... his favorite sport growing up was soccer, where he played goalkeeper and center back at a high-level from age 6 to 16 ... as he continued to grow, he eventually became too big for soccer and began transitioning to football ... he was first introduced to football as a 15-year-old in Germany in 2019 by Brandon Collier, a former college football player who founded the international scouting and training organization Premier Prospects International (PPI) ... he trained with Collier and PPI before taking a huge leap toward pursuing his football dreams — moving to California in October 2020 as a high school junior ... he spoke broken English, had never played organized football and left his family and friends behind in Germany for the opportunity to eventually play college football in America ... he played organized football for the first time in the spring of 2021 ... by his own account, he arrived in the U.S. lanky at about 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, then jokes that American food quickly helped beef him up to nearly 290 pounds as a football player ... he has continued to grow and is now 6-foot-5 and 309 pounds ... his mother, Judith Kanu, is German, and his father, Kingsley Kanu, is Nigerian ... he also has a brother, David Kanu, and sister, Deborah Kahveci ... his parents and siblings have been extremely supportive of his decision to leave home and chase his dream playing football in America ... when he first arrived in the U.S., he lived with a host family in Ladera Ranch, California —Seana and Michael Pierce and their son, Evan — and remains very close with them today ... and his soccer background hasn’t completely left him — he had an opportunity to put those skills on display in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in the fall of 2025 when he hosted U.S. Soccer standout Alex Freeman — the son of Super Bowl Champion and Pro Bowl receiver Antonio Freeman — during a visit with Team USA to Austin ... over the past two years, has hosted eight free football camps in Germany and France to inspire young people ranging from six-year-olds to young adults, teaching them the game of American football as well as the discipline, dedication and work ethic necessary to succeed as student-athletes, with the hope they can one day follow in his footsteps and earn a college scholarship ... inspired by the Kicks for Kids program, donated more than 100 pairs of shoes to local children in need and participated in promotional efforts to raise awareness to the charitable initiative ... has volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club of Austin through Longhorn great and board member Jamaal Charles and served as a celebrity waiter at an event supporting Derrick Johnson’s Defend the Dream Foundation, which provides low-income and inner-city youth with the opportunities and resources to reach their full potential in school and in life.
