The Florida Gators football program faces a critical defensive challenge heading into the 2025 season with significant gaps in their defensive tackle position. Following the departure of key players Cam Jackson, Desmond Watson, and Joey Slackman due to eligibility exhaustion, the team is actively seeking experienced talent to bolster their defensive line.
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In a promising development, former Ohio State defensive tackle Hero Kanu has emerged as a potential solution. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound defensive lineman, who entered the transfer portal on January 24, is scheduled to visit Florida’s campus. This news was confirmed by multiple sources, including 247Sports’ Blake Alderman and On3’s Corey Bender.
Kanu’s impressive background includes being ranked as a top-150 prospect in the 2022 class and the No. 7 overall prospect from California. His collegiate career at Ohio State showed steady development, beginning with a redshirt freshman year in 2022. His most productive season came in 2023, where he appeared in 11 games and recorded 10 tackles, including one sack and one tackle-for-loss. During the 2024-25 season, he participated in 15 games, though his statistical output decreased to four tackles.
While Florida currently has several returning players including Jamari Lyons, D’Antre Robinson, Micah Boireau, and Brien Taylor, the coaching staff continues to pursue experienced transfers to play alongside Caleb Banks. The team recently missed out on transfer portal target Keeshawn Silver, who chose USC, making their pursuit of Kanu even more significant for their defensive line depth.
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