2022 DT Hero Kanu Talks Notre Dame Offer, What's Next

Hero Kanu‍ released his “personal top 10” on Friday morning, but only included nine schools in the graphic he tweeted.

There was no mistake though, according to the 2022 defensive tackle from Germany, who is currently living in California.

“I was hoping for Notre Dame to come in to make it a Top 10,” Kanu told Irish Sports Daily. “I was basically saving an extra spot.”

That extra spot was filled a day later, when he landed a scholarship offer from Notre Dame via defensive line coach Mike Elston and head coach Brian Kelly.

“I was waiting for that,” Kanu said.

The Santa Margarita Catholic High School standout had been exchanging messages with Elston and while the Irish were certainly interested in Kanu, they weren’t sure what their exact numbers were.

As soon as they realized they had the space, they sent out the offer.

“I was excited,” said Kanu. “We have another guy there, Alex Ehrensberger, who is also from Germany. We both worked together with PPI Recruits.

“I think highly of Notre Dame. It's a top, top school in the nation with a world-class education.”

In just one season and several months in the United States, Kanu has garnered an extreme amount of attention and his Top 10 consists of Alabama, Clemson, Washington, Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU, Texas, USC and Ohio State in addition to the Irish.

He’s already making plans to get to South Bend.

“I'm trying to unofficially visit in the last week of this month,” he said. “I'm trying to fly up there. From then on, we're going to see. I still have three official visits left to set up and they're really fighting for one of these.”

Kanu has fall official visits already locked in for Oklahoma and Ohio State. His recruitment will wrap up this winter.

“I will announce where I'm going at the All-American Bowl on January 8th. But I will be signing in December.”

He has a good idea of what he’s looking for in a school and a program.

“It's the culture, the development and stability the school has and the relationships there and the education too. It's becoming a slogan now for schools, it's not a four-year decision, it's a 40-year decision. I know that's true.

“Without my dream of coming to the US, I mean I would be working right now, so it's really a 40-year decision.”