The Texas Longhorns Get Major News On A Key Defensive Player

The Texas Longhorns did not take part in the College Football Playoff for a third consecutive season.

That said, Texas will get the chance to pen the final words of the 2025 season as it takes on the Michigan Wolverines in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL.

And now, it appears as though they will be getting some good news heading into that game.

According to reports from OnTexasFootball on Sunday night, standout Texas defensive tackle Hero Kanu is expected to return to the Longhorns for one more season.

Hero Kanu's First Season in Austin

Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Hero Kanu (93) celebrates during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The big six-foot-five, 299-pound defensive tackle arrived on the Forty Acres from the transfer portal ahead of the 2025 season. Kanu made his way to the Longhorns after spending two seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes, in which in 26 games for the Buckeyes, recording 14 tackles (one solo)and a sack in his time up in Columbus, and was a part of Ohio State's national championship-winning squad.

After the conclusion of that season, Kanu entered the transfer portal and settled on the Longhorns in late January with reported interest from other top SEC programs. And in his first season with the Longhorns, Kanu became a difference maker on the defensive side of the ball.

Kanu played in all 12 of the Longhorns' matchups this season, recording 30 tackles (eight solo), four tackles-for-loss, two sacks, and a pass deflection, as the defensive tackle became a key piece to the Longhorns' defensive line rotation throughout the year.

The Longhorns Defensive Line Room Moving Forward

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) is tackle by Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) and defensive tackle Hero Kanu (93). | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The return of Kanu will be beneficial as the Longhorns' defensive line room looks to be getting a lot younger next season, with only other upperclassmen being Alex January and Maraad Watson, both of whom will enter into their junior seasons.

Elsewhere, the Longhorns get the chance to see some of their younger player in Justus Terry, who has already flashed what he can become throughout his freshman campaign, and the likes of Josiah Sharma and Myron Charles, who didn't get much game time this season.

Texas also added an exciting defensive line prospect with its 2026 recruiting class, adding four-star prospect James Johnson, who ranks as the No. 8 player at his position per Rivals. And with all the youth at the position, it would not be a surprise if the Longhorns look to add an experienced defensive lineman from the transfer portal, as they've done in years past.