Ohio State Buckeyes Lose Another Defender to Transfer Portal

The Ohio State Buckeyes have suffered yet another loss to the NCAA transfer portal.

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Hero Kanu (93) against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes have been doing their best to enjoy their National Championship win. However, a lot of outside news has clouded the celebration this week.

From teams trying to steal Jeremiah Smith to players leaving for the transfer portal, a lot of other things have been going on.

Once again on Friday, a player has been reported to be entering the portal.

According to a report from Pete Nakos of On3 Sports, defensive tackle Hero Kanu has decided to look elsewhere. He has officially entered the transfer portal.

Ohio State defensive lineman Hero Kanu has entered the transfer portal, @On3sports has learned.

Former four-star recruit. https://t.co/VxSGJEUisH pic.twitter.com/5q4hYGiXKf

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) January 25, 2025

Originally joining Ohio State in their 2022 recruiting class, many expected Kanu to develop into at least a role player for the Buckeyes. He was ranked as the No. 129 overall player in the 2022 class and was the No. 19 overall defensive lineman.

Unfortunately, that never ended up happening for Kanu.

Throughout his career with Ohio State, Kanu has recorded just 14 total tackles and a sack.

Standing in at 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds, Kanu brings an intimdiating physical presence to the line. He should end up landing with a new school fairly quickly.

The reality was simply that Kanu was facing an uphill battle for playing time. He wanted a chance to prove himself and develop on the field. Leaving the Buckeyes was the only way to pursue that goal.

Hopefully, Kanu ends up landing in a good situation. It would be better to see that situation come outside of the Big Ten.

As long as he isn't playing against Ohio State, fans will continue hoping to see him succeed. It's a shame that things didn't go as planned for both Kanu and the Buckeyes together, but he's set to forge a new path and it will be interesting to see where he plays the next chapter of his career.