Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 59-7vs Texas State | 3 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 24-23vs Ohio State | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#93
Hero Kanu
Senior defensive lineman on Texas's 2026 roster.
6′5″ · 309 lb · Geltendorf · Santa Margarita Catholic
CFB Index 44 · #245 of 420 edge rushersLow confidenceReturning to Texas for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
0
sacks · 2026
1.5 TFL · 4 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1.5 TFL, 3 tackles, vs Texas State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive lineman on Texas's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Ohio State in 2022.
- Transferred from Ohio State to Texas in 2025.
Hero Kanu
Wins his gap play after play. Hero Kanu has played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. One game to point at: 3 tackles, 1.5 TFL against Texas State — Week 1, 2026.
4 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Ohio State4-star out of Santa Margarita Catholic
202511 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Texas
Played his entire career under Steve Sarkisian.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Ohio State11-2HC: Ryan Day · Balanced
2024Ohio State14-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Texas10-3HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
2026Texas2-0HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 2.0 TKL/g, 0.8 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Steve Sarkisian
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
44 · #245 of 420 edge rushers
Former four-star. Now #245 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #35 of 60 SEC DLs
How the All-SEC estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Texas | 4 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Texas | 31 | 9 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Ohio State | 4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Ohio State | 10 | 8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 49 | 20 | 6.5 | 3.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 24–23
vs Ohio State
1 TOT
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 1 at home.
With A. Manning — 195 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 83.0 · 24 rush yds (8 car) · D. Smothers — 74 rush yds (21 car) · 2 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Texas
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Texas
Returning around him
- 6 Texas players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -6 net (22 in / 28 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Texas · Last season: 10-3 (AP #14) · Talent rank #2 · 2026 recruiting class #7
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kahlil Saunders’s 2025 season.
90%match
Matches Kahlil on
Class year
Sack rate
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Scott Matlock's junior season at Boise State (2022).
88%match
All-Mountain WestNFL Rd 6
Matches Scott on
Weight
TFL rate
Hurry rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Hero Kanu
Background
A second-year defensive lineman... has played in 39 career games ... has played in 13 games with 12 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...
The defensive line · Texas
- #1Colin Simmons15.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #93Hero Kanu4 tackles for loss · 2025
- #95Ian Geffrard4 tackles for loss · 2025
- #19Zina Umeozulu3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #97Alex January2.5 tackles for loss · 2025
14 more on the roster · Texas team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology