Regarding the 2026 recruiting class, the Notre Dame football team is focusing on the defensive line as one of the most critical position groups. So far, Marcus Freeman has done a heck of a job bringing in players like Tiki Hola. Now they’ve set their sights on another 4-star lineman in Alister Vallejo.
As other coaches and fans around the college football world are finding out, once Freeman sets his sights on someone, he tends to win the race to land their commitment. He and his staff have taken the first steps with an official visit on June 20.
Notre Dame takes big swing at 4-star DL Alister Vallejo with June official visit
The visit is the first foot in the door, that Notre Dame football was named among his favorite three teams is the Irish taking a step into the entryway. Now they want to slam the door shut on the other two schools still on his list, as well as every other team recruiting the 4-star prospect out of Liberty Hill, Texas.
The Irish have an old foe they’ll need to overcome in fighting the other schools. Granted, Michigan hasn’t been all that tough to beat on the recruiting front. The Wolverines and Kansas Jayhawks are the other contenders.
It’s not hard to see why Vallejo is someone Notre Dame wants to lock up. All you need to do is watch his film or read the scouting report 247Sports issued to know he’s someone who can be a game changer and should be able to do that early in his career:
“Verifiably big with requisite frame to survive and potentially thrive in the trenches at the high-major level. Checks the multi-sport box with encouraging shot put data. Excellent production for an interior D-line projection with 18 sacks, 26 hurries, 5 kick blocks across past two seasons (sophomore-junior). Serious forward juice with impressive linear closing speed relative to mass.”
Vallejo is set to commit on June 10, and while that might seem to bode poorly for the Irish, he’s taken some unofficial visits to South Bend. Considering that he also considers Hola a good friend, things are looking rather positive for the Notre Dame football team again.