Rouse Raiders field goal attempt is blocked by Liberty Hill Panthers defensive end Alister Vallejo (56) and recovery leads to a Panther's touchdown during the first quarter at the non-district Class 5A football game on Friday, Sept 6, 2024, at Liberty Hill Panther Stadium in Liberty Hill, TX. John Gutierrez/Special to American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Kansas Football Battling With Two Elite Programs for Defensive Recruit

Originally posted on Kansas Jayhawks on SI
By Joshua Schulman | Last updated May 29, 2025 12:35 AM ET

On Wednesday, highly touted defensive tackle Alister Vallejo announced he would be making his college decision on June 10 between the Kansas Jayhawks, Michigan Wolverines, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Where is ?!?
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Grateful. For the journey—every high, every low, and every lesson in between. God did. #lafamilia #recruitLH @LH_Panthers_FB @CoachSeaborn @kwalkcoach @coach_johns @ChanceVineyard1 @Coach_Acevedo @scottha84069422 @9ine0Elite @JNSC33 @coach_bridges… pic.twitter.com/V2p33QfcM0
— Alister Vallejo (@AlisterVallejo) May 28, 2025

A powerful 6-foot-3, 310-pound star, Vallejo is one of the best interior linemen in his graduating year. 247 Sports ranks him the No. 203 overall player and No. 32 defensive lineman in the Class of 2026.

He is an incoming senior at Liberty Hill High School in Texas, where he totaled 51 tackles, seven sacks, and nine tackles for loss last year, according to MaxPreps.

Lance Leipold will have to compete with two of the best football programs in the country in the race to acquire Vallejo.

Perhaps the biggest competition KU faces is Notre Dame, as he is scheduled to take an unofficial visit to the campus next week.

Following that trip, Vallejo will officially visit Kansas starting June 6. He previously met with the coaching staff in Lawrence in March.

The Jayhawks have been involved in Vallejo's recruitment for quite some time, becoming just the second FBS school to offer him a scholarship this past January.

Some encouraging news is that his visit to Kansas will be his last before his college decision on June 10.

In what has been an incredible 2026 recruiting class for KU, Vallejo would be the latest impressive commitment if Leipold and Co. could land him.

This article first appeared on Kansas Jayhawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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