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Hero Kanu on Ohio State, life in America, recruiting expectations and timelines for a decision

Jeremy-Birminghamby:Jeremy Birmingham•07/19/21•

Birm

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Ohio State football recruiting can be a wild ride full of twists and turns as recruits from all over the country maneuver their way to signing day. Lettermen Row is here to help navigate the tumultuous roads by getting to the heart of the matter with the young football players and Ohio State coaches and staff members themselves. Today’s episode is with California 4-star defensive lineman Hero Kanu.

COLUMBUS — When he arrived at Ohio State for a one-day recruiting camp in June, Hero Kanu was a bit of a mystery.

When he left the Buckeyes campus some 36 hours later, the 6-foot-5, 290-pound defensive tackle from Santa Margarita Catholic (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) was an absolute priority for Larry Johnson and Ohio State.

It’s rare for any player to make the kind of impression that Kanu did on that visit. It’s rarer still for a defensive tackle to impress Johnson the way Kanu did. The 4-star prospect, born in Bavaria, has only played American football for two-plus years but his combination of size, speed and energy made him an absolute standout. The way he dominated, while learning on the fly, was memorable.

And learning from Larry Johnson was memorable for Hero Kanu. That’s why he decided to stick around for a second day of camp with the Buckeyes though he was just scheduled for one.

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Hero Kanu will return to Ohio State for an official visit in October. (Birm/Lettermen Row)

“He was very much what I thought,” Kanu told Lettermen Row. “I like the way he coaches. He’s very calm and goes into the details to make you better. Every single time, every single drill is something that is going to make you better. I really liked that about him.”

Since that trip, the conversation between Ohio State and Hero Kanu has increased, exponentially. That’s another surefire sign of the rising importance he has in the Buckeyes top-ranked 2022 recruiting class. As the Buckeyes look for a handful of defensive linemen in this cycle, Kanu has risen from relative unknown to near must-get for Larry Johnson.

How did June shape Kanu’s recruitment? Why was Ohio State one of the first official visits he scheduled? What has life in America been like after moving from Germany?

The 4-star lineman joined Birminology on Lettermen Row to talk about that stuff and much more. Check it out at the link below.

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