Hero Kanu Explains Decision to Pass on NFL Draft, Return to Texas for 2026

The ramp-up for the 2026 season is already on its way as the Texas Longhorns close in on the end of week one of spring practice, as head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff get the first official look at the squad headed into the upcoming season.

The Longhorns have plenty of new faces, whether it be from the transfer portal with the likes of Cam Coleman and Rasheem Biles making the smooth adjustments into their new program, or young freshmen like Jermaine Bishop Jr. and Tyler Atkinson who are looking to make a good first impression on campus.

And while spring practice is obviously the time to see the new faces that Texas brought in and see how they begin to fit in, the spring window is also the time for many of the key returners that came back for the Longhorns to continue building on their 2025 season and one of those key returners broke down his reasoning behind staying in Austin for another year.

Hero Kanu Breaks Down Decision to Come Back to Austin

Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Hero Kanu celebrates against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

After the Longhorns' second session of spring practice on Wednesday, senior defensive tackle Hero Kanu took the mic in a media availability and talked about his decision between heading off for the NFL or returning to the Longhorns for his final season of college eligibility.

"We have a saying, Coach Baker always tells me... you never arrive," Kanu said. "No, it doesn't matter what you do; you never arrive. So just kind of thinking about that, praying about that, talking to him, talking to Coach Sark, talking to Coach Becton, to see what I can improve, and maybe, I can upgrade, and it's all God's plan, and I made my decision back here."

The defensive tackle transferred in from the Ohio State Buckeyes ahead of the 2025 season, and Kanu impressed in his first season donning the burnt orange as he played in all 12 of the Longhorns' matchups, recording 30 tackles (eight solo), four tackles-for-loss, two sacks, and a pass deflection.

Back in December of 2025, reports of Kanu being expected to return to Austin for the 2026 season were released, and on January 14, a couple of weeks after the Citrus Bowl, the defensive tackle made his decision official on X, announcing his return to the Longhorns for one more year.

@PPIRecruits @BCollierPPI @TexasFootball pic.twitter.com/WeodhYlIpT
— Hero Kanu (@HeroKanu) January 14, 2026

Texas' Interior Defensive Line Room Headed into 2026

Kanu now heads into the 2026 season, no longer the new face on campus but now as a veteran who's expected to lead the interior of the Longhorns defensive line. Joining Kanu in the interior are several experienced options like Alex January and Maraad Watson, as well as second-year guys like Myron Charles and Josiah Sharma. Sophomore Justus Terry should obviously also factor into the equation in the interior.

The Longhorns also have plenty of new faces in the interior of the defensive line, with the huge addition, both literally and figuratively, of transfer, Ian Geffrard, who played at Arkansas last season, listed at six-foot-five, 387 pounds. Also out of the transfer portal is a potential development player in LSU transfer Zion Williams.

And out of the high school ranks, the Longhorns bring in four-star freshman James Johnson, who ranked as the No. 8 player at his position in the 2026 recruiting class per Rivals.